CaliforniaBull

I have a pretty hard time thinking we beat Houston in the AAC championship game tbh. Ive said all along, Houston is a top 10 team with Greg Ward at QB. BUT! if we do win, then I don't think its a sure thing we get by Western Kentucky. Not saying we don't, but 2 losses looks a lot better than 4. And sure we play in the AAC, but saying a Maryland loss is a bad loss is an understatement guys.

If you guys remember the Big East, there were no bad teams. Every week was a dog fight, unlike in the AAC where free wins are handed out, we get Tulane, SMU, or now UCF every couple of weeks. But i think the majority of the teams play at a similar level

I hate saying this, but if UCF had a similar season to USF so far, and this game had a lot of hype and the big 12 1-1 loss team misses the playoff again, youd have to think the USF UCF would be the odds on pair to add. But now, who would want to bring on UCF? Similarly to why any conference would have wanted to add USF the last couple years.

We NEED this game to be big. As well as USF, we NEED UCF to be good. So I for one, will cheer for a quick UCF turn around. 

wow ESPN really knows how to hype up their games, dont they? Makes the game sound super interesting

Awesome post man! Really enjoyed the game

i love Byrd, but Mack could be 1 2 and 3. No way is Byrd over him. And its hard to take your list seriously without Nichols. Lee is definitely our best D lineman followed by Senat. Not sure where everyone got the love for Hill lately and def not Hector. They are good but not top 10

i cant tell what youre trying to have play out here... There are 4 teams that USF simply cannot pass no matter what happens, and they are Toledo, Houston, Navy, and yes, Memphis (they cannot lose again, because they have a gimmie win vs SMU). Toledo doesnt need to win the MAC to win the berth and neither do the AAC teams. Its highest ranked group of 5 team, not a conference champ. Tell me how to justify 4 loss USF over one loss Toledo? Or even 2 loss Navy or Houston? Or 3 loss Memphis when they won the head to head

Id go 1. Mack 2. Byrd 3. Nichols 4. Adams 5. E Lee 6. D Johnson 7. Gudmondsson 8. Jozwiak 9. Senat 10. Flowers 11. Sanchez 12. Harris 13. Ciabatti 14. Abraham 15. Hoggins 16. Fullwood 17. Hill 18. Godwin 19. Amichia 20. Price 

Most overrated player? Tice.

Gotta think that the combination of having Harris, Whitehurst (Suspension), Sanchez (Targeting), and Calloway (academics) all missing from the defense early in the year had something to do with the early season struggles. Because if you notice, when everybody got used to each other again, and played together, they started turning it on. And hopefully that made all the Sanchez haters quite down a little bit. Hes not the best in coverage, and isn't super athletic, but his instincts are some of the best on the team, and he is one of the better tacklers we have. I really hope everyone gets better next year, while Calloway comes back and fills the big shoes left by Eric Lee

I will second my statement, because I think Temple's do everything RB Jahad Thomas if you guys remember got banged up on his first touchdown vs us. He didn't play much or at all vs Memphis this week. He is the equivalent of losing a Marlon Mack to us. USF has been extremely lucky not to lose anybody to injury this year, and may be part of the reason we are playing so well down the stretch. Anyway, ESPN is giving Temple an 86.7% chance to win vs UConn. So take that for what its worth.

I really think the championship game talk is out the window. We really needed a Memphis win. I know UConn just beat Houston, but Houston didn't have Greg Ward starting at QB. And UConn's QB Sherriffs is injured. So they are relying on back up QB Tim Boyle. We will need a full blown miracle for UConn to win.

Anybody know when Troy Holston comes back from injury? Wasn't it supposed to be mid season or something??

I think you're both wrong, I think he is saying that Skippy just didn't recruit in florida very well

I hope next year the AAC has a better bowl lineup.. This sucks. But I guess the positive take away from this is I suspect the AAC will win 6 out of the 7 games. Our big 4 in Navy, Houston, Memphis and Temple will all get under matched, (with the exception of the new years 6 bowl) and probably win their games. Which leaves the other 3 games to USF, Cincy, (who are both very talented and getting the weaker games so they should win) and Tulsa (who btw is 3-0 this year against the group of 5). This is the AAC's year and bowl lineup to prove that we are closer to power status than the group of 5 status.

Btw UConn is 1 win away from bowl eligibility at 5-5, but have games vs Houston and Temple, so I am not expecting them to win again. Tulsa meanwhile, has games vs Navy and Tulane. East Carolina probably has better odds at making it than UConn, even at 4-6 due to their remaining games vs UCF, and Cincy.

Oh come on, Willie is not even close to being in the topic of potential big time gigs. USF is one of the top AAC programs, and getting us just over middle of the pack is not cause for getting him picked off to leave. This board is full of over reacters lol

Calm down there, bud. No more premature extensions.

Yea kicking hotlz ass in a bowl game would be a lot more interesting than say a southern alabama

All 4 definitely will be ranked, no doubt

1. Houston 9-0 This team proved to me against Cincinnati that its not just about Greg Ward and Kenneth Farrow. This team has a fast athletic defense that can pick up the slack, if and when the offense has an off day.

2. Navy 7-1 Navy's win could easily propel 4 AAC teams into the top 25 this week. The Keenan Reynolds, Chris Swain duo looks unstoppable right now.

3. Temple 8-1 The difference between a sluggish Temple offense, and a good one? RB Jahad Thomas. He was out in the first half vs SMU, but when he came in, this team looked completely different (as in much better). The same can be said when he was banged up vs Notre Dame.

4. Memphis 8-1 Memphis was never thought to be a good defensive team, but they aren't built to stop the run with their two NFL hopefuls on defense being in the secondary in SS Reggis Ball, and CB Dontrell Nelson. Their chances at the conference title are not lost, but will now be rooting for Houston to beat Navy.

5. Cincinnati 5-4 OSU isn't the only Ohio team playing with a QB controversy. Gunner Kiel and Hayden Moore must be giving coach Tommy Tuberville headaches playing with such potential, but inconsistency at the same time. They can fly just as quickly as they can die on offense.

6. USF 5-4 Lets be honest about the state of our program. We have tremendous athletes. But as a team, we do not look impressive. We should be happy with 6-6, and a bowl win vs the Middle Tennessees of the world for now.

7. Tulsa 5-4 Tulsa is also in good position to go bowling now, with Tulane to cap off a tremendous turn around season, lead by a fun to watch offense.

8. East Carolina 4-6 This is the most up and down team all year. After pulling out a squeaker vs Towson, to taking Florida to the wire and beating VT, to being blown away by Navy, to almost upsetting Temple, to getting blown out themselves by UConn, and giving the game to USF.

9. UConn 5-5 Surprise! Yes, I know they beat ECU soundly, but this is the same UConn team that just beat Tulane by a putrid 7-3 score. The lone touchdown? A pick six in the first quarter. QB Bryant Sherriffs the last couple weeks has looked like the hands down worst QB in the league. I would put a big chunk of money on ECU if they played again. (I would hold coach McNeil gunpoint, and make him start Blake Kemp)

10. SMU 1-8 They play Tulane for the official toilet bowl of the AAC west in two weeks. SMU gets the nod for now, considering 1. They have a QB and 2. They keep things competitive.

11. Tulane 2-7 I have said it many times before, and I will say it again. We had no reason to invite this team to the conference, and have nothing holding us back from giving them the boot. They suck in football, basketball, and let me tell you a secret. They always have.

12. UCF 0-10 The Knights must be wondering when the season ends at this point. With games vs ECU and USF left, the chances of picking up a win before the season ends is bleak. Without a coach, the future is bleak. Did I mention their basketball future is bleak too? And to think before the season, they were the darlings of expansion talk. Oh, have the mighty fallen.

I agreed for a minute, but Houston is the only current unbeaten, and I don't think they have a shot because their OOC schedule was weak. So now, F it. If USF wins the conference, that is a HUGE statement in putting us next up for realignment if that DOES happen

I would peg it at 90% we get to 6 wins. Nothing is impossible, and the UCF game is always wild

I know the win was not pretty at all, but if we can reel off ONE win against Temple, all it would take is a following win vs a good Cincy team that is on a slight down year. This isn't impossible guys! Temple plays Memphis after us, so they can very easily lose that game, and BAM, we are in the CCG vs probably Houston or Navy! This is probably setting our sights a little high, but for now, I am letting it soak in that we will finally be going bowling, due to the TERRIBLE UCF team we will be smashing on Thanksgiving

Oh you're right. I must have forgot Syracuse was a power 5 team. For the rest of you, it is Towson, NIU, Syracuse, and FSU

I will back up my statement though. I also mentioned preseason that if we do not get 6 wins and a bowl game, that I would come with a pitchfork for Taggart's head. But if we play competitively each game, and blow out UCF to finish things off, I will actually admit SLIGHT improvement, and give Taggart ONE MORE FRIGGIN YEAR (that hurt to say). The reason I say this is because the AAC greatly improved this year, and so that is the reason it will only show up as a one win improvement. Now, with ONE power 5 team on the schedule for next year, there should be no reason we don't win 7

Not sure anybody is ROOTING against USF, but I predicted 5 wins preseason for my favorite team, and if I was guessing again, I wouldn't change that one bit. We will beat UCF. I don't see us beating ECU or Cincy or Temple. welcome the 5-7 (3-5) record with open arms guys