AP Poll USF #19

[Mama_Bull]

The AP Top 25 Poll

http://collegefootball.ap.org/poll

Edited August 21, 2017 by Mama_Bull

[BullyPulpit]

I am extremely interested to see what happens to us as the season progresses. Through natural attrition, we will move up the ranks so long as we keep winning, just like WMU did last season. I really hope we come out gangbusters against SJSU and blow them out by 40+, with a few SportsCenter Top 10 plays mixed in. The quicker that we can move up the rankings, the harder it will be to justify moving us back down later on in the season. 

[BullyPulpit]

Week 1 - Let's go Michigan and BYU. Those two teams win and we could/should be ranked #17 or 18 (winner of WVU and Va Tech might jump us in the AP poll). I'm torn on cheering for App St to beat Georgia in Week 1, as that might make it harder for us to get the Peach Bowl if we end up with 1 loss. 

Looking forward at the Week 2 schedule and, if we start out 3-0 and look impressive on both sides of the ball in the process, we could be ranked as high as #13, depending on how the games break. 

[BayIslandBull]

Top 25 gets all the publicity; sports center recaps, final score tickers, highlights,  etc

[Mama_Bull]

While I would like to see a blowout in the first game, I expect that CCS will keep it pretty much vanilla and let our backup QB's and newer players gain some valuable experience. It's a long season and there is no sense keeping Flowers in for most of the game.

Long term, USF needs to cement itself as a perennial top 25 team over the next several years and become THE powerhouse in the AAC, much like what Miami did in the Big East. That is our best chance to be picked up by one of the P5 conferences.

Edited August 21, 2017 by Mama_Bull

[Boomer]

8 minutes ago, BullyPulpit said:

Week 1 - Let's go Michigan and BYU. Those two teams win and we could/should be ranked #17 or 18 (winner of WVU and Va Tech might jump us in the AP poll). I'm torn on cheering for App St to beat Georgia in Week 1, as that might make it harder for us to get the Peach Bowl if we end up with 1 loss. 

Looking forward at the Week 2 schedule and, if we start out 3-0 and look impressive on both sides of the ball in the process, we could be ranked as high as #13, depending on how the games break. 

in 2008 we started out 3-0 and made it to #12.  We got to #10 after going 5-0.  But this year, wins against our first five opponents will not get us that high.  That, and our conference, will require us to be winless after at least 8 games in my opinion before getting #10.

[Boomer]

5 minutes ago, Mama_Bull said:

While I would like to see a blowout in the first game, I expect that CCS will keep it pretty much vanilla and let our backup QB's and newer players to gain some valuable experience. It's a long season and there is no sense to keep Flowers in for most of the game.

Long term, USF needs to cement itself as a perennial top 25 team over the next several years and become THE powerhouse in the AAC, much like what Miami did in the Big East. That is our best chance to be picked up by one of the P5 conferences.

This is what I'm waiting to see.  A strategy to develop the next quarterback, or a campaign to keep Quinton's Heisman hopes alive.  He put up those big game and season numbers because he's good, but also because he was in a lot of the games until the end.  Can't wait to see where CCS has his priorities.

[Mama_Bull]

USF No. 19 in AP poll, matching highest preseason ranking

While it remains to be seen whether USF will have an unprecedented regular season, one thing is certain.

It already has had an historic August.

The Bulls are 19th in the Associated Press' preseason poll, matching the program's highest preseason ranking previously achieved by the 2008 team. They're the only two USF teams to be ranked before September.

Times staff writer Matt Baker ranked USF 19th on his ballot. The Bulls also were ranked 19th at the end of 2016, when they finished 11-2 and topped South Carolina in the Birmingham Bowl.

USF is the only Group of Five team to be ranked, a potentially encouraging harbinger at the season's outset. The Group of Five conference champion ranked highest by the College Football Playoff selection committee earns a berth in a New Year's Six bowl game. The first CFP rankings will be released Oct. 31.

Here's where the Bulls have landed in the seven most prominent preseason rankings:

Associated Press: 19
Athlon: 24
Coaches poll: 21
The Sporting News: 22
Sports Illustrated: 17
Street & Smith's: 23
Phil Steele: 18

https://t.co/JU1Y9d8bB4

 

[Mama_Bull]

3 minutes ago, Boomer said:

This is what I'm waiting to see.  A strategy to develop the next quarterback, or a campaign to keep Quinton's Heisman hopes alive.  He put up those big game and season numbers because he's good, but also because he was in a lot of the games until the end.  Can't wait to see where CCS has his priorities.

Leavitt acknowledged that he kept Blackwell in too long in many games and regretted the fact that he didn't give the backup QB's more reps to prepare them better for taking over when he graduated.

[Gismo]

Ending a season ranked, and being ranked in the preseason is a new accomplishment for the program.