Get used to it, big boys: USF now a contender
JOHN ROMANO, jromano@sptimes.com
Published November 28, 2006


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

History, we can all agree, is not on their side.

The South Florida Bulls do not have titles hanging from their walls or the ghosts of Heisman Trophy winners walking their halls. They do not have the prestige of a Florida State or the popularity of a University of Miami.

All they have is today, and, really, what's wrong with that?

For today, the Bulls are the second-best team in the state. They are better than Miami and more productive than Florida State.

Today, they are 8-4 and coming off their second upset of a top 10 team in as many seasons. They are heading toward another bowl bid and are a dropped two-point conversion from a top 25 ranking.

This team without much of a past has people talking about its future, and that may be the most remarkable of Jim Leavitt's many accomplishments.

"It's only a matter of time," Leavitt said by phone Monday, while cruising down the road to knock on another recruit's door. "That's what I've always told recruits. That, back when I was in high school, Florida, Florida State and Miami weren't very good. Now, they are three of the best programs in the nation.

"We've got all the resources we need to do the same thing. So I tell recruits the same thing today that I've told them all along. It's only a matter of time."

And, around USF, time flies. Ten years ago, the Bulls existed only in theory. Six years ago, they were a nondescript Division I-AA team. Two months ago, they were lamenting a pair of heartbreaking losses.

And yet, today, they have made Miami jealous and FSU self-conscious. While their in-state neighbors are in retreat, the Bulls are kicking in doors.

"We're not going to talk down Florida State or Miami," Leavitt said. "We're going to talk up South Florida."

Four years ago, USF beat a top 25 team for the first time. Last season, the Bulls claimed their first top 10 victim. And on Saturday at West Virginia, USF took down a top 10 team on the road.

The Bulls have beaten every team in the Big East in the past two years and have held their own against the Big 12 and the ACC.

"This isn't a hypothetical anymore. This is fact," Leavitt said. "We play in a big-time conference, and we're winning games."

Okay, so USF is not yet ready to be called a national power.

In reality, the Bulls lag behind Miami and FSU in nearly every way other than wins and losses this season.

But what they have done in the past two months is wedge their way into the conversation. They have taken advantage of the missteps by the Seminoles and Hurricanes to position themselves as more than just a cute upstart.

For 25 years, Florida, Florida State and Miami have co-existed as the state's Big Three in college football.

Can we actually consider the possibility that one day there will be a Big Four?

"I believe so," Leavitt said. "But the only way you become a Big Four is by beating the Big Three. We've sort of come around the corner at them, but we're not there yet. We're getting closer. We're in the same room. We're not standing outside the door anymore."

USF lost 27-7 to Miami last year in its only appearance against the big boys. And the Bulls do not get another crack until 2010-11 when they go to Florida and 2012-13 in a home-and-home series against Miami.

Does it seem improbable USF could be on a similar level to the Gators or Hurricanes in five or six years? Sure it does.

On the other hand, would you have believed five or six years ago that USF would be a contender in a major conference today?

Look, Leavitt understands the stakes, and he knows the history. He was here in the 1970s as a quarterback at Dixie Hollins High, and he saw the growing pains of three universities known more for potholes than production.

FSU was 4-29 in the three seasons before Bobby Bowden's arrival and was still dreaming of finishing a season in the top 20.

Miami was going through seven coaches in 10 seasons, and the campus was buzzing with talk of dropping the football program.

Florida was crawling toward the 1980s with 0-10-1 record.

Yet, by the mid 1990s, all three had won national championships.

As giddy as these moments seem, the Bulls are still a long way off. They are not yet recruiting the type of athletes the big teams get.

But if you have any doubt of the program's direction, you need only listen to the rumors of Miami poking around Leavitt's door and of Alabama making another run at USF's coach.

Leavitt, who turns 50 next week, seems pleased to mull the possibilities of, once again, being a hot coaching commodity. It's good for USF's program. It's good for his ego. In the past, it has been good for his wallet.

"It's fun to think about. It's fun to imagine the possibilities," Leavitt said. "But when it comes right down to it, I don't think I could do it. I love this place. And the people have been good to me. The hardest part of human nature is always thinking somebody has it better. You tell me, what job out there is better?

"We're creating history here."


FAST FACTS

Romano's take

UF: USC + agents = hope.

USF: Would've been No. 1 if Ron Zook had survived.

FSU: Emerald Bowl? I'd prefer one of Emeril's bowls.

UM: For $25 donation, you, too, can fire Larry Coker.

UCF: Katherine Harris of state football polls.

. FAST FACTS

How they stack up

We're not the only ones saying USF had a better season than Miami or FSU. The Bulls are ranked ahead of both programs in all six of the computer rankings used by the BCS, as well as the Harris and Associated Press polls

CyberBull Wrote:Get used to it, big boys: USF now a contender
JOHN ROMANO, jromano@sptimes.com
Published November 28, 2006


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

History, we can all agree, is not on their side.

The South Florida Bulls do not have titles hanging from their walls or the ghosts of Heisman Trophy winners walking their halls. They do not have the prestige of a Florida State or the popularity of a University of Miami.

All they have is today, and, really, what's wrong with that?

For today, the Bulls are the second-best team in the state. They are better than Miami and more productive than Florida State.

Today, they are 8-4 and coming off their second upset of a top 10 team in as many seasons. They are heading toward another bowl bid and are a dropped two-point conversion from a top 25 ranking.

This team without much of a past has people talking about its future, and that may be the most remarkable of Jim Leavitt's many accomplishments.

"It's only a matter of time," Leavitt said by phone Monday, while cruising down the road to knock on another recruit's door. "That's what I've always told recruits. That, back when I was in high school, Florida, Florida State and Miami weren't very good. Now, they are three of the best programs in the nation.

"We've got all the resources we need to do the same thing. So I tell recruits the same thing today that I've told them all along. It's only a matter of time."

And, around USF, time flies. Ten years ago, the Bulls existed only in theory. Six years ago, they were a nondescript Division I-AA team. Two months ago, they were lamenting a pair of heartbreaking losses.

And yet, today, they have made Miami jealous and FSU self-conscious. While their in-state neighbors are in retreat, the Bulls are kicking in doors.

"We're not going to talk down Florida State or Miami," Leavitt said. "We're going to talk up South Florida."

Four years ago, USF beat a top 25 team for the first time. Last season, the Bulls claimed their first top 10 victim. And on Saturday at West Virginia, USF took down a top 10 team on the road.

The Bulls have beaten every team in the Big East in the past two years and have held their own against the Big 12 and the ACC.

"This isn't a hypothetical anymore. This is fact," Leavitt said. "We play in a big-time conference, and we're winning games."

Okay, so USF is not yet ready to be called a national power.

In reality, the Bulls lag behind Miami and FSU in nearly every way other than wins and losses this season.

But what they have done in the past two months is wedge their way into the conversation. They have taken advantage of the missteps by the Seminoles and Hurricanes to position themselves as more than just a cute upstart.

For 25 years, Florida, Florida State and Miami have co-existed as the state's Big Three in college football.

Can we actually consider the possibility that one day there will be a Big Four?

"I believe so," Leavitt said. "But the only way you become a Big Four is by beating the Big Three. We've sort of come around the corner at them, but we're not there yet. We're getting closer. We're in the same room. We're not standing outside the door anymore."

USF lost 27-7 to Miami last year in its only appearance against the big boys. And the Bulls do not get another crack until 2010-11 when they go to Florida and 2012-13 in a home-and-home series against Miami.

Does it seem improbable USF could be on a similar level to the Gators or Hurricanes in five or six years? Sure it does.

On the other hand, would you have believed five or six years ago that USF would be a contender in a major conference today?

Look, Leavitt understands the stakes, and he knows the history. He was here in the 1970s as a quarterback at Dixie Hollins High, and he saw the growing pains of three universities known more for potholes than production.

FSU was 4-29 in the three seasons before Bobby Bowden's arrival and was still dreaming of finishing a season in the top 20.

Miami was going through seven coaches in 10 seasons, and the campus was buzzing with talk of dropping the football program.

Florida was crawling toward the 1980s with 0-10-1 record.

Yet, by the mid 1990s, all three had won national championships.

As giddy as these moments seem, the Bulls are still a long way off. They are not yet recruiting the type of athletes the big teams get.

But if you have any doubt of the program's direction, you need only listen to the rumors of Miami poking around Leavitt's door and of Alabama making another run at USF's coach.

Leavitt, who turns 50 next week, seems pleased to mull the possibilities of, once again, being a hot coaching commodity. It's good for USF's program. It's good for his ego. In the past, it has been good for his wallet.

"It's fun to think about. It's fun to imagine the possibilities," Leavitt said. "But when it comes right down to it, I don't think I could do it. I love this place. And the people have been good to me. The hardest part of human nature is always thinking somebody has it better. You tell me, what job out there is better?

"We're creating history here."


FAST FACTS

Romano's take

UF: USC + agents = hope.

USF: Would've been No. 1 if Ron Zook had survived.

FSU: Emerald Bowl? I'd prefer one of Emeril's bowls.

UM: For $25 donation, you, too, can fire Larry Coker.

UCF: Katherine Harris of state football polls.

. FAST FACTS

How they stack up

We're not the only ones saying USF had a better season than Miami or FSU. The Bulls are ranked ahead of both programs in all six of the computer rankings used by the BCS, as well as the Harris and Associated Press polls

Until USF doesn't crap on themselves OOC with losses to Kansas and being shut out by a terrible program like NC State in a bowl game they'll be nothing more than spoilers. Kind of like ECU basketball was in the old CUSA. You simply make us look bad and screw up good situations for the conference.

LOL lmfao lmfao
Now Now a couple of good years and some Cards fans are all up on themselvers.
Heres a memo our series is 2-2. So i could say that until the Cards stop losing to teams like USF they shouldnt think of themselves as a national contender

L-yes Wrote:

CyberBull Wrote:Get used to it, big boys: USF now a contender
JOHN ROMANO, jromano@sptimes.com
Published November 28, 2006


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

History, we can all agree, is not on their side.

The South Florida Bulls do not have titles hanging from their walls or the ghosts of Heisman Trophy winners walking their halls. They do not have the prestige of a Florida State or the popularity of a University of Miami.

All they have is today, and, really, what's wrong with that?

For today, the Bulls are the second-best team in the state. They are better than Miami and more productive than Florida State.

Today, they are 8-4 and coming off their second upset of a top 10 team in as many seasons. They are heading toward another bowl bid and are a dropped two-point conversion from a top 25 ranking.

This team without much of a past has people talking about its future, and that may be the most remarkable of Jim Leavitt's many accomplishments.

"It's only a matter of time," Leavitt said by phone Monday, while cruising down the road to knock on another recruit's door. "That's what I've always told recruits. That, back when I was in high school, Florida, Florida State and Miami weren't very good. Now, they are three of the best programs in the nation.

"We've got all the resources we need to do the same thing. So I tell recruits the same thing today that I've told them all along. It's only a matter of time."

And, around USF, time flies. Ten years ago, the Bulls existed only in theory. Six years ago, they were a nondescript Division I-AA team. Two months ago, they were lamenting a pair of heartbreaking losses.

And yet, today, they have made Miami jealous and FSU self-conscious. While their in-state neighbors are in retreat, the Bulls are kicking in doors.

"We're not going to talk down Florida State or Miami," Leavitt said. "We're going to talk up South Florida."

Four years ago, USF beat a top 25 team for the first time. Last season, the Bulls claimed their first top 10 victim. And on Saturday at West Virginia, USF took down a top 10 team on the road.

The Bulls have beaten every team in the Big East in the past two years and have held their own against the Big 12 and the ACC.

"This isn't a hypothetical anymore. This is fact," Leavitt said. "We play in a big-time conference, and we're winning games."

Okay, so USF is not yet ready to be called a national power.

In reality, the Bulls lag behind Miami and FSU in nearly every way other than wins and losses this season.

But what they have done in the past two months is wedge their way into the conversation. They have taken advantage of the missteps by the Seminoles and Hurricanes to position themselves as more than just a cute upstart.

For 25 years, Florida, Florida State and Miami have co-existed as the state's Big Three in college football.

Can we actually consider the possibility that one day there will be a Big Four?

"I believe so," Leavitt said. "But the only way you become a Big Four is by beating the Big Three. We've sort of come around the corner at them, but we're not there yet. We're getting closer. We're in the same room. We're not standing outside the door anymore."

USF lost 27-7 to Miami last year in its only appearance against the big boys. And the Bulls do not get another crack until 2010-11 when they go to Florida and 2012-13 in a home-and-home series against Miami.

Does it seem improbable USF could be on a similar level to the Gators or Hurricanes in five or six years? Sure it does.

On the other hand, would you have believed five or six years ago that USF would be a contender in a major conference today?

Look, Leavitt understands the stakes, and he knows the history. He was here in the 1970s as a quarterback at Dixie Hollins High, and he saw the growing pains of three universities known more for potholes than production.

FSU was 4-29 in the three seasons before Bobby Bowden's arrival and was still dreaming of finishing a season in the top 20.

Miami was going through seven coaches in 10 seasons, and the campus was buzzing with talk of dropping the football program.

Florida was crawling toward the 1980s with 0-10-1 record.

Yet, by the mid 1990s, all three had won national championships.

As giddy as these moments seem, the Bulls are still a long way off. They are not yet recruiting the type of athletes the big teams get.

But if you have any doubt of the program's direction, you need only listen to the rumors of Miami poking around Leavitt's door and of Alabama making another run at USF's coach.

Leavitt, who turns 50 next week, seems pleased to mull the possibilities of, once again, being a hot coaching commodity. It's good for USF's program. It's good for his ego. In the past, it has been good for his wallet.

"It's fun to think about. It's fun to imagine the possibilities," Leavitt said. "But when it comes right down to it, I don't think I could do it. I love this place. And the people have been good to me. The hardest part of human nature is always thinking somebody has it better. You tell me, what job out there is better?

"We're creating history here."


FAST FACTS

Romano's take

UF: USC + agents = hope.

USF: Would've been No. 1 if Ron Zook had survived.

FSU: Emerald Bowl? I'd prefer one of Emeril's bowls.

UM: For $25 donation, you, too, can fire Larry Coker.

UCF: Katherine Harris of state football polls.

. FAST FACTS

How they stack up

We're not the only ones saying USF had a better season than Miami or FSU. The Bulls are ranked ahead of both programs in all six of the computer rankings used by the BCS, as well as the Harris and Associated Press polls

Until USF doesn't crap on themselves OOC with losses to Kansas and being shut out by a terrible program like NC State in a bowl game they'll be nothing more then spoilers. Kind of like ECU basketball was in the old CUSA. You simply make us look bad and screw up good situations for the conference.

Perhaps, but the same thing can be said about UL in bowl games.

And that coming from a trailer court crowd! lmfao

CyberBull Wrote:

L-yes Wrote:

CyberBull Wrote:Get used to it, big boys: USF now a contender
JOHN ROMANO, jromano@sptimes.com
Published November 28, 2006


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

History, we can all agree, is not on their side.

The South Florida Bulls do not have titles hanging from their walls or the ghosts of Heisman Trophy winners walking their halls. They do not have the prestige of a Florida State or the popularity of a University of Miami.

All they have is today, and, really, what's wrong with that?

For today, the Bulls are the second-best team in the state. They are better than Miami and more productive than Florida State.

Today, they are 8-4 and coming off their second upset of a top 10 team in as many seasons. They are heading toward another bowl bid and are a dropped two-point conversion from a top 25 ranking.

This team without much of a past has people talking about its future, and that may be the most remarkable of Jim Leavitt's many accomplishments.

"It's only a matter of time," Leavitt said by phone Monday, while cruising down the road to knock on another recruit's door. "That's what I've always told recruits. That, back when I was in high school, Florida, Florida State and Miami weren't very good. Now, they are three of the best programs in the nation.

"We've got all the resources we need to do the same thing. So I tell recruits the same thing today that I've told them all along. It's only a matter of time."

And, around USF, time flies. Ten years ago, the Bulls existed only in theory. Six years ago, they were a nondescript Division I-AA team. Two months ago, they were lamenting a pair of heartbreaking losses.

And yet, today, they have made Miami jealous and FSU self-conscious. While their in-state neighbors are in retreat, the Bulls are kicking in doors.

"We're not going to talk down Florida State or Miami," Leavitt said. "We're going to talk up South Florida."

Four years ago, USF beat a top 25 team for the first time. Last season, the Bulls claimed their first top 10 victim. And on Saturday at West Virginia, USF took down a top 10 team on the road.

The Bulls have beaten every team in the Big East in the past two years and have held their own against the Big 12 and the ACC.

"This isn't a hypothetical anymore. This is fact," Leavitt said. "We play in a big-time conference, and we're winning games."

Okay, so USF is not yet ready to be called a national power.

In reality, the Bulls lag behind Miami and FSU in nearly every way other than wins and losses this season.

But what they have done in the past two months is wedge their way into the conversation. They have taken advantage of the missteps by the Seminoles and Hurricanes to position themselves as more than just a cute upstart.

For 25 years, Florida, Florida State and Miami have co-existed as the state's Big Three in college football.

Can we actually consider the possibility that one day there will be a Big Four?

"I believe so," Leavitt said. "But the only way you become a Big Four is by beating the Big Three. We've sort of come around the corner at them, but we're not there yet. We're getting closer. We're in the same room. We're not standing outside the door anymore."

USF lost 27-7 to Miami last year in its only appearance against the big boys. And the Bulls do not get another crack until 2010-11 when they go to Florida and 2012-13 in a home-and-home series against Miami.

Does it seem improbable USF could be on a similar level to the Gators or Hurricanes in five or six years? Sure it does.

On the other hand, would you have believed five or six years ago that USF would be a contender in a major conference today?

Look, Leavitt understands the stakes, and he knows the history. He was here in the 1970s as a quarterback at Dixie Hollins High, and he saw the growing pains of three universities known more for potholes than production.

FSU was 4-29 in the three seasons before Bobby Bowden's arrival and was still dreaming of finishing a season in the top 20.

Miami was going through seven coaches in 10 seasons, and the campus was buzzing with talk of dropping the football program.

Florida was crawling toward the 1980s with 0-10-1 record.

Yet, by the mid 1990s, all three had won national championships.

As giddy as these moments seem, the Bulls are still a long way off. They are not yet recruiting the type of athletes the big teams get.

But if you have any doubt of the program's direction, you need only listen to the rumors of Miami poking around Leavitt's door and of Alabama making another run at USF's coach.

Leavitt, who turns 50 next week, seems pleased to mull the possibilities of, once again, being a hot coaching commodity. It's good for USF's program. It's good for his ego. In the past, it has been good for his wallet.

"It's fun to think about. It's fun to imagine the possibilities," Leavitt said. "But when it comes right down to it, I don't think I could do it. I love this place. And the people have been good to me. The hardest part of human nature is always thinking somebody has it better. You tell me, what job out there is better?

"We're creating history here."


FAST FACTS

Romano's take

UF: USC + agents = hope.

USF: Would've been No. 1 if Ron Zook had survived.

FSU: Emerald Bowl? I'd prefer one of Emeril's bowls.

UM: For $25 donation, you, too, can fire Larry Coker.

UCF: Katherine Harris of state football polls.

. FAST FACTS

How they stack up

We're not the only ones saying USF had a better season than Miami or FSU. The Bulls are ranked ahead of both programs in all six of the computer rankings used by the BCS, as well as the Harris and Associated Press polls

Until USF doesn't crap on themselves OOC with losses to Kansas and being shut out by a terrible program like NC State in a bowl game they'll be nothing more then spoilers. Kind of like ECU basketball was in the old CUSA. You simply make us look bad and screw up good situations for the conference.

Perhaps, but the same thing can be said about UL in bowl games.

I don't think you can equate leading top 10 Vtech for 3 quarters in the Gator Bowl while playing a back-up qb or defeating a top 10 team in the Liberty to getting shut out by jobless Chuck Amato or losing to a bottom dwelling program like Kansas. 2-2 vs. us or not USF is still just a program that manages to crap on the parade because they've never been in the position to pick up the torch when they do happen to catch someone.

I don't think I have ever come across a more arrogant person than this L-Yes character. He's putting down a fellow Big East member that has made a bowl for the second year in a row. If there was only one mirror in a hotel room, I bet L-Yes & Tiger Shark would fight to the death to get the most face time.

Congrats to South Florida on the good ink. Should be good recruiting fodder for potential recruits. I understand what L-Yes is saying...he is just being L-Yes who regularly throws decorum to the wind. I believe South Florida is the future of this conference and eventually all championships must pass through you...but at the moment you are just a spoiler. Yes your record against UofL is 2 and 2 and will probably go in your favor after next year since we play at your place....but you are not there yet. It's within your sight, you might be able to taste it...but it's not in your grasp. As I said in another post, next year will be the test of how much you've advanced. You have Louisville, WVU and Cincy (who beat you pretty soundly and has a win over a top ten team as well this year) at home. I'm already ready to give you an acknowledging nod, but handle your business next year and I'll bow down.

Brick City Pirate Wrote:I don't think I have ever come across a more arrogant person than this L-Yes character. He's putting down a fellow Big East member that has made a bowl for the second year in a row. If there was only one mirror in a hotel room, I bet L-Yes & Tiger Shark would fight to the death to get the most face time.

lmfao lmfao lmfao

GrayBeard Wrote:

Brick City Pirate Wrote:I don't think I have ever come across a more arrogant person than this L-Yes character. He's putting down a fellow Big East member that has made a bowl for the second year in a row. If there was only one mirror in a hotel room, I bet L-Yes & Tiger Shark would fight to the death to get the most face time.

lmfao lmfao lmfao

The only thing I can say about L-yes is that he certainly didn't need to quote that entire article 3 times. That is extremely redundant stupidity. Ignorance can be educated away, but stupid is forever.

bitcruncher Wrote:

GrayBeard Wrote:

Brick City Pirate Wrote:I don't think I have ever come across a more arrogant person than this L-Yes character. He's putting down a fellow Big East member that has made a bowl for the second year in a row. If there was only one mirror in a hotel room, I bet L-Yes & Tiger Shark would fight to the death to get the most face time.

lmfao lmfao lmfao

The only thing I can say about L-yes is that he certainly didn't need to quote that entire article 3 times. That is extremely redundant stupidity. Ignorance can be educated away, but stupid is forever.

Was quoting the responses. If you read the article each time it was quoted there is little doubt who the stupid one is. Try to keep up.

As for arrogance and lack of decorum it pissed me off that the Big East lost a shot at two BCS bids. I find it irritating that USF thinks its arrived as a contender when it can finish no better than 4th in the league again and only plays the role of spoiler. WVU dropped the ball but proclaiming USF has arrived is a bit rich. As I stated earlier in the thread for USF to have arrived they have to be in position to pick up the banner and run with it when they pull an upset. They aren't there. They are simply spoilers.

L-yes Wrote:I find it irritating that USF thinks its arrived as a contender when it can finish no better than 4th in the league again and only plays the role of spoiler. WVU dropped the ball but proclaiming USF has arrived is a bit rich. As I stated earlier in the thread for USF to have arrived they have to be in position to pick up the banner and run with it when they pull an upset. They aren't there. They are simply spoilers.

For starters, Einstein, if Rutgers beats West Virginia, USF will finish tied for 3rd. You can't come across as somebody who knows what you're talking about when you can't even be factually correct on something that is or is not verifiable.

Second, "USF" didn't write the article that was written, a reporter did. The reason for the big deal? Off the top of my head, I can only think of 5 teams that beat a team ranked in the top 10 at the time on their home fields this season (Clemson @ FSU, Ohio State @ Texas, Michigan @ Notre Dame, Arkansas @ Auburn and USF @ West Virginia). Even you guys blew your chance to do that.

Finally, you can piss and moan about the loss at Kansas all you like. We certainly were not satisfied with the result. However, facing the adversity for our freshman QB against his first BCS opponent allowed him to improve to the point where he's capable of being successful in those types of games in the future. Next year, our BCS OOC road game will be at Auburn. Will you be just as pissy if we don't beat them? If so, go pound sand. We don't have to prove ourselves to you or anybody else.

You want to be pissed off about the loss of a shot at a second BCS bid? Both teams went into that game trying to win. Only one was heavily favored. You should be pissed off at the team that was NOT successful, not at the team that was.

USFFan

usffan Wrote:

L-yes Wrote:I find it irritating that USF thinks its arrived as a contender when it can finish no better than 4th in the league again and only plays the role of spoiler. WVU dropped the ball but proclaiming USF has arrived is a bit rich. As I stated earlier in the thread for USF to have arrived they have to be in position to pick up the banner and run with it when they pull an upset. They aren't there. They are simply spoilers.

For starters, Einstein, if Rutgers beats West Virginia, USF will finish tied for 3rd. You can't come across as somebody who knows what you're talking about when you can't even be factually correct on something that is or is not verifiable.

Second, "USF" didn't write the article that was written, a reporter did. The reason for the big deal? Off the top of my head, I can only think of 5 teams that beat a team ranked in the top 10 at the time on their home fields this season (Clemson @ FSU, Ohio State @ Texas, Michigan @ Notre Dame, Arkansas @ Auburn and USF @ West Virginia). Even you guys blew your chance to do that.

Finally, you can piss and moan about the loss at Kansas all you like. We certainly were not satisfied with the result. However, facing the adversity for our freshman QB against his first BCS opponent allowed him to improve to the point where he's capable of being successful in those types of games in the future. Next year, our BCS OOC road game will be at Auburn. Will you be just as pissy if we don't beat them? If so, go pound sand. We don't have to prove ourselves to you or anybody else.

You want to be pissed off about the loss of a shot at a second BCS bid? Both teams went into that game trying to win. Only one was heavily favored. You should be pissed off at the team that was NOT successful, not at the team that was.

USFFan

If you beat Auburn I'm on the bandwagon. Until then...

Like I said WVU dropped the ball. We agree in that respect.

Frankly i couldnt careless if you got in our bandwagaon or Not. But the FACT that USF has beaten Louisville and West Virginia in the past two years shows that it is getting to the point where it can be a contender for the Big East title.
Being a contender doesnt mean youll win it but that you have a good shot at it and in case you forgot USF was very much a contender last year when it was in contention for Big East title till the next to last game vs UConn. Obvioulsly we havent been good enough to win it yet. But if you dont think we are close to it tune in 07
By your definition Louisville is NOT a contender since they have YET to win a Big East title.

L-Yes's problem is that he doesn't like any school that has a direction attached to it's name. I said in the beginning that USF was a big gamble for the Big East. Well, except for fan support, that gamble is paying off.

Brick City Pirate Wrote:I said in the beginning that USF was a big gamble for the Big East. Well, except for fan support, that gamble is paying off.

Nice back-handed compliment. I'm hoping we make a good showing in Birmingham and put this tired argument to rest...

at least until next year when the UCF and ECU fans decide that this is the best way to attack USF again.

USFFan

Cubanbull Wrote:Frankly i couldnt careless if you got in our bandwagaon or Not. But the FACT that USF has beaten Louisville and West Virginia in the past two years shows that it is getting to the point where it can be a contender for the Big East title.
Being a contender doesnt mean youll win it but that you have a good shot at it and in case you forgot USF was very much a contender last year when it was in contention for Big East title till the next to last game vs UConn. Obvioulsly we havent been good enough to win it yet. But if you dont think we are close to it tune in 07
By your definition Louisville is NOT a contender since they have YET to win a Big East title.

Not really. Louisville finished second in the league last season, finished #6 in the country the year before that and are 4 points and a win over UCONN away from the national title game this season. Worst we can do this year is BE #2 with a weekend win and we could be conference champs adding a WVU win. We'll likely end up in the top 5 of the final BCS rankings.

I didn't intend for this to turn into a pissing match. I vented some frustration at the loss of an at large BCS bid for our league. An additional 5 million when you combine the 4+ million from the extra bid and an additional bowl slot for Pitt is nothing to sneeze at. The USF backslapping at the expense of the conference is laughable. I don't have to revel in it or like it but I'll get over it.

So let me get this straight you expected USF to roll over so the BE could get 4.5 mill and another BCS team? Well sorry to dissapoint you,but you wouldnt expect or be unhappy if it was Louisville in USF's place.

Cubanbull Wrote:So let me get this straight you expected USF to roll over so the BE could get 4.5 mill and another BCS team? Well sorry to dissapoint you,but you wouldnt expect or be unhappy if it was Louisville in USF's place.

Of course not but Louisville isn't in USF's place. I'm looking at the bigger picture. There's an ESPN article linked on the board in which Tranghese is obviously dissapointed in the outcome of that game, he puts the best face possible on it but the bottom line is it was bad for the league.

In the short term it may not be in the best interest of the league BUT USF was not brought on board in the Big East to be a doormat or a spolier. The sooner USF gets to be a top 25 or top 10 team the better it will be for the league as having another power team and wins like this one helps getting there.