GarySJ

I don't think the conference size is an issue. Adding mediocre programs will not help the situation. The league will get a 4th tie-in somewhere, and possibly a 5th, just because some of these low-rent games simply have no other choices. And Pitt just plain sucks. What moron's decision was it to hire Dave Wannstedt?

Both divisions of CUSA look like anybody's to win right now. Especially after UTEP loses to Memphis.

Also, USF lost all the votes it had in the AP poll last week. Too bad, I was hoping we'd keep one or two. CFN didn't ding us too hard, dropping USF to #36 in its "CFN 119" ranking of all I-A schools. I think we were #35 last week. CBS Sportsline has us playing Kansas State in the Independence Bowl, in place of an SEC team. (But this implies that Rutgers gets the last Big East-affiliated bowl slot ahead of us.)

Every year, the Bulls play one complete stinker on the road. Look at the results for any year, and there's always one road game in which USF plays below its capabilities. Here's the list of Annual Road Stinkers so far: 1997 @Elon 1998 @Hofstra 1999 @James Madison 2000 @Middle Tennessee 2001 @Utah 2002 @Arkansas 2003 @Southern Miss 2004 @South Carolina Not that the Bulls should have won all these games, nor does a road loss mean the team played poorly. But in each of these games, USF played significantly below its capability... which, again, seems to happen exactly once per football season. With all due credit to Miami's defense, which was awesome, USF's offense didn't play all that well either. They looked inept a week after looking spectacular. So, here's the question: was the Miami game this year's Annual Road Stinker? Do we have that one bad game out of our system, or do you think this team is going to play like crap at some point in a conference road game?

This "one games effect on recruiting" business is way overrated anyway. They always say the same thing about the UF-FSU or UM-FSU game deciding who gets the better recruits. But both participants end up getting a huge haul anyway, regardless of who won or lost. I think USF's recruiting position is fine. Especially if the Bulls can get a bowl game this year.

You guys are looking at this the wrong way. USF should be thinking in terms of whatever helps us win the conference and/or get better bowl games. Is USF better served by a UofL win over WVU, or vice versa? I'm not so sure we should be pulling for UofL. If WVU wins, it pretty much eliminates Louisville from the conference title race. If WVU and USF can hold serve against Rutgers and Pitt, that would make the WVU@USF game the biggest game of the Big East season. And it's at home. And WVU would probably just replace UofL in the polls anyway, giving USF another Top 25 home game.

Thanks. Now I've got that retarded 90s anthem stuck in my head. By the way, here's the only photo I could find of Vanilla Ice sporting UM gear (note hat)

The SEC likes to keep its bowl pecking order vague. But #6 sounds about right, below the Peach but above the Independence/Music City.

God, what an awful display of football that was. Mathematically, the two teams that participated in that blunderfest are 25% of the entire Big East. No wonder everybody thinks our conference sucks.

I'd have to say "control line of scrimmage." USF's OL needs to keep Julmiste upright and give him time. USF's DL needs to generate pressure on Wright.

And if it did, he'd just trade it for A.J. Feeley. BTW, as much fun as it is to bash Wannstedt, let us remember that Rutgers blew a bigger lead vs. Illinois.

That's unfortunate. A New York City game would have been great for the conference. I'm concerned about the Big East only having 3 tie-ins right now, but with so many games and so many cities wanting to start one, I'm sure places will be found for the 4th and probably 5th bids in the conference. I'd still like to see Nashville back in the Big East fold (since the Big Ten has left).

Huh? I've never even heard of this bowl. I assume it has something to do with the alleged NY olympic/Jets stadium project? As for other potential new games, I've heard Toronto and Indianapolis mentioned, both of which were suggested as Big East vs MAC.

This is not a football-only board. Posts on all USF sports are welcome.

Yes, he's done very well in this department so far. I think we'll be pleased with the outcome. Besides, we have 5 road games (UCF, UNC, UofL, WVU, Cincy) and 5 home games (FIU, Syr, Rut, Conn, Pitt) already lined up. It won't be that hard to find two more, especially since everyone in college football has just recently been given the right to schedule a 12th game. We'll find something.

I thought Kyle Wright looked pretty good vs. Florida State. He was clearly getting more comfortable, and looked clutch leading that last drive (which unfortunately for UM ended in a missed FG).

We're at 10%. Not bad. Way ahead of Iowa State (5%), and close to Alabama (11%) and Wisconsin (14%). Michigan State and Notre Dame (30% each) lead the poll. Vote early, vote often.

Supposedly the return game was delayed by mutual agreement, because of a big fight during the front end in Boulder in 1993. In any event, it got played. I'll take a home game with UM any time they want to come. Who knows, maybe by 2017 it'll be played in a USF on-campus stadium :

Is Miami's Hester related to USF's Hester?

They'd have to move to Division I first. They're currently D-II and I'm not aware of any transitional period being in progress. No way it could get done that quickly. Even if it could, it's hard to imagine the Sun Belt would be interested. The Atlantic Sun would be more realistic.

According to CFBNews, the Fort Worth game has the option to pick a Pac-10 team in 07. I don't know the details (such whether it would even be at the expense of the CUSA school), and I don't feel like registering for the Fort Worth newspaper to find them out. There will be a lot of bowl tie-ins shuffled during this offseason. Let's just wait and see who's sitting where when the music stops. Fortunately for the conferences and schools, there are so many bowls the conferences have leverage. In any event, CUSA's done well with its bowl line up. Getting to play an SEC team in the Liberty is a great opportunity. The Big East needs to get a fourth bowl lined up for the future. Currently there is only the BCS, Gator/Sun, and the Automobile Related Bowl in Charlotte. We really need the Music City bowl back.

Well, there's also the trip to Pittsburgh on the 15th. That is officially a must-win for the Bulls, for conference and credibility reasons, regardless of how the UM games goes. We'd be 2-0 in conference play, and if West Virginia is 3-0 going in (they'd have to beat Louisville), that game at RJS could ultimately decide the the conference title.

Well, he did say a lot of nice things about our football players. Going to be a tough game, same caliber of players as UM, etc. Who'd've thought a Miami Hurricane would ever say that about a South Florida Bull? Don't get me wrong, I'm still insulted at the academic dig. Especially coming from Miami. Geez. That's like David Lamm saying Doug Graber needs to lose weight.

You know, Meriweather's remarks are complimentary, in an odd way. He said we had a strong caliber of players, which is pretty high praise. I guess he needed some reason to put USF down, and the academic thing was the best he could come up with.

Actually, Hawaii will not be a CUSA game in 06, according to the Honolulu paper: