USFreak

Wake me up when they pour the concrete.  I think the college football landscape change going to leave USF holding the bag.  Hopefully not, but winning and a stadium would really help.

I’m not sure USF underinvested in athletics. We were in the barrel of the wave in the Big East and simply missed on building on campus stadium and harnessing what UCF has harnessed.   That campus pretty electric game day (and the game I attended was UCF/Villanova. Not exactly Big12 slate). That cascades to more excitement and more investment.  An empty stadium on Dale Mabry 15 miles from campus…not so much.  USF compounded it by firing a coach fully invested in the program and then some piss poor hiring. Judy further curbstomped it.

Shame all of it. Live and learn I guess.

Lots of truth from Leavitt.  A lot here have pissed on the Bounce House but having finally gone it is solid game day experience…especially when playing and winning against relevant opponents 

A bit of an offshoot thread to Daves below (losses to Mercer and FGCU…cause I’m a narcissist ) but many years ago USF decided to **** around…they found out.

Had a chance 7 months ago to right the ship. Nope.  Maybe that was just football but ****…The pain train boards here.  

No particular relation:  Prime Time Debut
 

3 hours ago, Triple B said:

Deep down I think we all knew this ....

No comment

5 minutes ago, BULLSHTR said:

Glad you enjoyed your nipple twisting, USFreak. Now don't let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya.

 

Adios compadre.  Maybe we can meet up at a UCF game.  Oh wait, we can't even get that marquee of opponent on our schedule.  Certainly not at home.  Maybe they'll give us a payday game.

I'll see you in 3 years when Golesh in losing season number 3 and we can do this all over again. Then you'll really call him CoachGo or CGO.

Maybe I'm wrong though.  I certainly was on Strong.

18 minutes ago, CousinRicky said:

I more just grew up? You're posting diatribes on a college sports message board.  You're  giving yourself too much credit. 

Would you accept "got older?"  I can honestly say I was too into it back then and maybe I just flew too close to the sun.  Just burned out and then Skippie Holtz sort of helped that along.

In my defense, outside of these isolated rants over 4-5 days, I haven't really posted other than a few times since that time either.  I have enjoyed this though (almost as much as a UCF game BULLSHTER, ey...ya with me?  ) 

"Oh you should donate and be a good alumnus.  And they wear shirts that say school and it's like look.  If your an adult still giving money to your college, college is a $120,000 hooker and you are an idiot that fell in love with her."

1 minute ago, BULLSHTR said:

Don't feed the troll! He's so butthurt that he thinks switching sides will make him feel better. Would be funny if it wasn't so **** sad.

I do find it funny that all these years people continually said, "UCF isn't our rival."  All true right up somebody thought it was a good idea to play them and then they ate our lunch.

Again, actions have consequences.  Those articles I posted earlier are pretty astute.

In terms of OCS - I'll be amazed if it is up in 2026 or 2027.

***Sidenote: how is any of the above trolling?  I'm sort of just pointing out history.

2 minutes ago, BULLSHTR said:

You did well enough insulting yourself admitting that you are a UCF fan. Be gone!

Man, did UCF touch you in a bad place?  Point to it?  Momma will help you.  Hopefully UTSA doesn't do the same.

4 minutes ago, Bull Awakening said:

Was Leavitt on top of your draft board back around 1995 od 1996??

I knew nothing of him but his work ethic was the stuff of legend from Day 1.  The trailers only added to that lure.  Having been around him off and on over those years tough to fault the guy for all he did.

1 minute ago, Brad said:

Please don't.  Insults, personal attacks, etc. will get you the offender put away for a while.

No need.

By "meat on the bone" I mean - try and say something intelligent while insulting me.

6 minutes ago, BULLSHTR said:

We get that you are hurt. I can't believe the administration did this to you and your fandom. I don't know if I should buy you a drink or a box of tissues.

 

I was a bit crazed from about 97 - 2008 or so.  I've tapered off.  That wasn't really due to the fact we were good or bad although when Leavitt was shown the door I really felt it was going to have an impact on the program and progress.  I more just grew up and found pursuits that were far more enjoyable than wasting a Saturday on football.  (full disclosure: I've wasted some Sundays on the Broncos).

You seem to like to insult me in many of your posts whereas I haven't insulted you (to my knowledge) in any thread I've posted.  In fact, a lot of posters have insulted me.  People usually do that when they have a weaker argument.   Feel free to keep insulting me, but maybe put a little meat on the bone.  This isn't over an maybe you see a Baby Jesus or a Shining Star that drags this team out of the cellar.

Or insult me, it's all good.

10 minutes ago, Brad said:

It's sports.  Entire legend is made about how adults act at soccer games and kill people.  So that's it.  People care.  As long as Freak doesn't kill someone.  I would like him being much more optimistic obviously, but we're not all wired the same.

If Jim Leavitt or Deion were in that locker room right now you'd see an optimistic me.  I just see this on rerun in three years.   USF is in a pit and I'm pessimistic simply about the ability for a Tennessee assistant to dig us out.  That's really it.

17 minutes ago, Brad said:

We had USF Fans quit USF Football because we went 8-5.  Let's provide some grace after 1-11, preceded by a 2-12, and whatever the hell was before that (1-9?).  It's not going to be easy sailing, unless you're on our Women's Sailing team.  It can be tough being a Bulls fan at times and some need time to adjust.  Like I said, half of you were ready to call it quits this season (if Scott was not fired).  Granted, USFreak could be more forgiving and reserved, but I've seen decades of similar fan reaction.  

I think you know deep down I'm pretty rational.  What can I say?  Message boards bring it out of me.

I will fully admit I'm on the fence.  I see what USF needs to succeed but I also wonder if all this stuff isn't just ridiculous?  NILs?  These multi-million and sometimes billion dollar facilities?  The transfer portal?  Minor league baseball makes a whole lot of sense when you look at what college hoops and football have become.  

Pay them, but make them pros.

24 minutes ago, Brad said:

And you had one older than that.  So the people that are giving USFreak behavior advice should know that you and Dave had your site way back before Rivals even existed.  Before much else existed on the web, including this site.  You and Dave were pioneers.  Sometimes the frustration and anger directly correlates to the length of time, great experiences, amount of money and emotion a fan has invested.  @USFreak will always get some extra space from me.  Like what he says or not, he's a Bull as much as he may try not to be.  Most of us have been there at one point or another.   Some of you, just a month ago...

I've yet to hear somebody say Golesh was on the top of their draft board.  And that's my point, Deion, Leavitt, maybe that Coastal Carolina guy or maybe Tom Herman seemed to be at the top.  Am I wrong?  Two of those really turn this ship around toots sweet (I have no idea what toots sweet means but since I'm the old dinosaur here it sounds good). 

You make the best of this guy but there a very slim chance he sees success. The cupboard is empty and just installing a new coach to a bottom-tier team in a bottom tier conference with questionable facilities and future ain't exactly what the doctor ordered.  He's got a big mountain to climb and maybe he's the best recruiter with a Andy Reid level grasp of offenses and will find the best D-Coordinator in the biz.  Who's to say?  I hope he proves us all wrong.  Again, I thought Charlie Strong was probably the best hire we made in the post-Leavitt era and that was a trainwreck.

I'm fine with the insults.  They are getting upset with me for piling on a 3-28 team that you have to drive to Dale Mabry to watch with a crowd smaller than they had over for Thanksgiving this year.

I'd be mad too when somebody spits a little truth that I don't want to hear.  The fact I've mixed in UCF here and there (really for comparison sake only) just puts more salt on the wound.

Now yer on the trolley!

5 minutes ago, Bull Nut said:

Jesus man... Go find a really tall bridge. 

2 hours ago, Dave_Glaser said:

CG: I know you don't frequent this board much, but we have plenty of this guy here already. You're not making any new contribution.

I'm more just twisting a few nipples on my way out.  The Bulls were one thing but this Wilson trade and the Broncos really have me ornery.  The fact that Herschel Walker's name has been batted about with this Senate race only serves to remind me the Donks may have now officially taken the title for worst trade ever.  I'm sputtering out on this board stuff clearly.  It has been fun to be back.  I clearly think Leavitt could turn this thing around.  That clearly isn't happening.  There's another "energetic" assistant awarded head coach that really reminds of us of the guy that could actually turn USF around.  

I know this isn't the popular opinion but back 15 years ago I feel I played armchair QB, administrator and head hoops coach (freaking Greenberg and that street ball ****).  It was on our old board (usf.rivals.com) but I feel I was pretty predictively accurate on how things would unfold.  The conference landscape for sure.  Much of it did unfold how I thought although I'm not sure I predicted some of it would blow up in such spectacular fashion.  Back to my favorite meme.

I HOPE I'm proven wrong here.  I saw a transition.  I saw a still vibrant coach living in Tampa and thought it a really good opportunity to resurrect a team that has had three of the absolute worst years in its history...in really any team's history...in non P5 conference that is also about to get so much worse.  UCF, Houston and Cinci leaving makes this a Sun Belt level conference.  This campus really is on that burial ground if you can't turn it around in the revised AAC.

But I get it.  It is negative and counterproductive.   I typically only show up on the transitions.  If all these puppies and milkshakes finally show up for the OCS or Golesh tears up the track I won't show up to eat my words.  Why?  Because nobody on this board truly believes this guy is the answer either.  You are merely hopeful he is...clearly there were three or four camps in this search - 1) The Prime Time Camp 2) The Leavitt Camp 3) The Caldwell (or other head coach - retread or rising) and then 4) The thirsty assistant camp (Golesh, etc).

I doubt anybody on this board had #4 as their top choice.  I firmly believe everybody (whether they like Leavitt or not) though #1 and #2 could have a real impact on the W/L and drive of this program.  #3 seemed like the route to go when #1 was too pie in the sky (Colorado easily snatched him) and #2 simply wasn't realistic.

But we are at #4.  A wily assistant from Tennessee.  

Sorry to bring it back to the Broncos but he feels a lot like Nathaniel Hackett to me.

Godspeed Bulls fans.  I can't come back here with egg on my face because I can't think there is truly anybody on this board that had Golesh on their board much less at the top of it.  You are all just clutching your pearls and hoping for the best.   Me too, but I think we chalked up a 2022 blunder to add to the ones so poignantly spelled out here and here:

25 Ways USF Has Completely Blown It

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No program in major college football has done less with more than South Florida.

Once ranked as high as No. 2, USF has fallen behind. How can the Bulls rebound?

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South Florida football experienced a rapid rise under Jim Leavitt in the 2000s. What's gone wrong to leave the Bulls behind in realignment?

19 minutes ago, BULLSHTR said:

But why don’t you just go on their message board then? You’re bringing a ton of unneeded negativity, when the rest of us are trying to look forward. Typical UCFer, you’ll fit right in over there.

If more of us rocked the boat maybe we wouldn't be living in the cellar with one dingy light bulb and a can of minced ham.

We can keep making the same mistakes or maybe we can learn from them?  Aye, comrade?

10 minutes ago, BULLSHTR said:

CF has won like 7 or 8 games against ranked FBS opponents in the last 20 years. That’s why they have won championships… super weak schedules. That’s about to change for them. Have fun playing teams in Texas and Kansas. 

Florida, last time I checked, is a pretty solid recruiting ground.  I would think the program success paired with the Big 12 invite gives them an opportunity to play toe to toe with any of them.  They may screw it up but I think that is the same opportunity we are looking to achieve.

1 hour ago, BULLSHTR said:

Building an OCS and winning aren't mutually exclusive. Obviously we can do both and should. Off-campus home games are the lamest college football experience I've ever had. Even at Miami. I remember in '05, my friends and I got all painted up and had to take the metrorail to that game... with a bunch of people that couldn't care less there was a game happening. Compare that to games I went to at Auburn, FSU, UF, and even UCF, and it's clear why we have fallen behind. No on-campus gameday atmosphere. I have had the displeasure of attending games at the old Citrus Bowl too. Once C. Florida built their OCS, I knew it was a matter of time for their program to pass us. Been saying it since '07. Sure, winning is #1, but overall fan experience is right up there and can help buoy a program when they are down.

I knew you were rational.  You are dumping on me for basically saying the same exact thing.   If I had no tie to the school I probably would care about them every bit as much as I care about Georgia or Auburn or Pitt.

1 hour ago, Outlaw said:

I agree but we need to prioritize winning over the OCS. If we are not trending upward and winning games wasting the money and taking on massive debt is not smart.

I don't think anybody would contradict you there.  They really need to start winning.  The OCS, if it ever comes, is 5+ years off.  No win, no interest, no money, no recruits, and Judy's life goal to pull a John Allen 2.0 will be complete.

3 minutes ago, olafberserker said:

2-10

Again, it was more to compare their 2023 schedule to our 2023 schedule.  USF's 2023 schedule is clearly a dud.  They'll probably still go 3-8.

Want to really be depressed:  2005 USF Schedule

1 hour ago, BULLSHTR said:

Not sure what your goal is here. It's just sad witnessing you unravel at this point. That said, I predict 2 wins for your new team next year: Kent State and maybe at Iowa State.

More just comparing schedules.  UCF was once at this point probably comparing their sad sack C-USA lineup to our Big East lineup.  Of course they won a few division and conference championships.  Of course they were 0-12 one year too.  Tides can turn for sure.  They are obviously basking in a glow we once basked in.  How we screwed up sitting in the cat bird's seat is still unbelievable to me.

That The Athletic story broke it down pretty well, but man does this program need a few solid breaks.  I hope your boy Golesh is the chosen one.

2 hours ago, Bull Awakening said:

Just heard new UAB coach interview on the Jim Rome show. It looks like UAB hit a home run with the hire. UAB & UTSA will be very tough for USF. They are basically standing in USF’s way for that playoff spot in a few seasons. Anyone That thinks the AAC will be weak really have not been paying attention. Tulane beat Kansas St this season who won the big 12 championship. AAC will be fine 

You nailed it.  I think it goes SEC, AAC...then everybody else.  

30 minutes ago, belgianbull said:

I expect that it will be done. There might be a slight delay, but based on reports earlier in the year it seems like it will happen. Pulling completely back from an OCS plan at this time would be a devastating blow to the fans. While some of my trust in Kelly has vanished I do expect him to get us an OCS by 2028.

Lost in me being tagged as UCF's favorite fan-boy is that they are actually feeding the beast.  Alums on campus, packed stadiums, Big12 games, a tradition of winning and OCS is only continuing to build excitement and their coffers. It has been pointed out how much more they spend than us countless times and that's outside of their growing younger and older fanbase.

USF on the other hand is stuck in this culture of losing and watching people walk away from the program. There is no Saturday game-day tradition bringing this same element back to campus.  A lot of the donors (many not affiliated with USF) are no-longer around and have to see this as a bit of a sunk duck.  Sure, there may be some mystical sea of donors out there that can get this OCS built fast, but I don't see it.  The thing needed to be done yesterday and the first game needed to be next year.  It's crazy we are here.  I mean schools like UNCC and FAU have been able to accomplish more to move in this direction and they've barely been a blip.

Welcome to Jerry Richardson Stadium

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Welcome to Jerry Richardson Stadium

FAU Stadium - Wikipedia

31 minutes ago, BULLSHTR said: