RMF5630

I'm going to need some other opinions backing up your statement that the crowds in the tradition rich football stadiums are "mostly girls, women, children, and older people" who have basically no clue about college football but are just there for the event. If that's what a true college football atmosphere is I want no part of it .... but I don't think it is. Go to a Florida game. Who is sitting in the seats from the 20 to 20 yard line? You will see just as many gray haired grandparents than you will 30-40 something guys. It is not the whole crowd, but that is what bumps you attendance from 45k to 60k. Just the older alumni bringing the grandkids is a substantial number at most big time schools. It is not just a family event, it is an extended family event. Throw in the pretty woman crowd, now your over 70k. The scary thing, is most of these fans know football, not to our detail. But, the know to be quite when their team has the ball and who Paterno is! USF has enough grad in Central Florida to sell out RayJay every week if the alumni felt the same way about USF as the UF, UW, Tenn, etc... alumni feel. There is no excuse for 40k at a conference game.

The MCCB was not happy about last year's attendance and was looking for a fail safe to ensure good attendance. Navy will bring 20k and they will spent. That's the name of the Bowl Game. Attendance and following. That is why an Iowa will go to a decent bowl even though they suck this year. That is why Wisconsin will play on New Years Day every year unless they really blow.

Wisconsin got hit with a triple whammy on scheduling. OSU rotated off the schedule, they had to add the 12th game, and had a cancellation they had to fill at the last minute. Add an off year for Purdue, Iowa, and Minn equals no BCS shot at all. They did play Michigan and lost by 14. They were only down by 7 until the 4th. The game was closer than the score indicates. You schedule a patsy schedule and you pay. It will cost them alot of money this year. I like the Big East and Pac-10 style schedule where you play everyone. Then there is no luck of the draw.

Look around, guys like us are the minority at most sporting events! Most of the people in the stand don't know how many yards rushing a RB averages per carry or that a LB like Nicholas covering a TE down the field is a great play. We are the minority. Go to some of the games where their are 80k + in the stands. They are mostly girls, women, children, and older people. Sure the student section is packed, but they are there for the party. I would bet that there were just as many hard core FB fans in RayJay as Camp Randall this weekend. Fans that really know what they are watching, the balance was made up those there for the event. Why is this relevant? Because our end zone tickets cost $42 PER TICKET, face value. Do the math. There was 81k at that game the cheapest ticket was $42. Buys an awful lot of stuff. That is why creating an event is so important. Not for the people like us that would go watch USF at Pepin Root Stadium, but for the fringe fans that spent a lot of money. It is a business and USF needs to approach it as such.

Ok, so I listed last years song! That is how stupid the selection was! I got news for you, college football is marketing. What you say is exactly what I am saying and where USF has let the team down! The HOT, they are anything be hot, does need to be more active and lead the off field experience not hinder it. If you have been to other college stadiums, there are 5th quarters after the game at various stadiums. The game was over and there were more people in the stands to stay and watch the band and party than go to a USF game! That is my point! However, it was an example of what another prgram does. Look at what you said, the TSA wants us out as soon as possible. That is because we are a tenant and not the main attraction. Hell, USF can't even paint the end zones! The few times we have it made the news! We are a commuter program at our own home stadium. Get a on-campus stadium where USF is the main attraction and people can hang out and more students would attend the games. The University has to determine what type of experience a USF game is and not leave it to chance, like right now. There attitude and that of fans like you is if the fans get into the game great, if not we are too young. That is ********, the University needs to help create the atmosphere. Keep saying that we're only 10 years old and we will have a real nice atmosphere in 70 years. We are the latecomers and we will always be younger than the rest of college football. If your happy with that, I feel bad for the rest of the fans that deserve a better show, one that is the same caliber as thier football team.

I put 3 Big East teams in top 15. Just don't think in top 3.

I have seen several different conferences (some in person Big 10, Big 12, and SEC) this year and those are the teams I saw that are better than WVU or Louisville. Of all the Big East teams Louisville looks the best equipped to compete in other conferences. They are balanced. I do not think the spread offense would survive a Big 10 or SEC schedule. The QB would get killed. The same for Lousiville, I do not see that offense going to Ann Arbor or Columbus in November and surviving. Here is my rankings based on what I have seen regardless of record: 1 - OSU 2 - Texas 3 - Auburn 4 - Michigan 5 - Florida 6 - USC 7 - Notre Dame 8 - Lousiville 9 - LSU 10 - Wisconsin 11 - Cal 12 - Boston College 14 - WVU 15 - Rutgers 40 - USF Just my opinion.

I was at that game and saw him carted off. He is a pisser, he was pissed. The Wisconsin fans gave him a standing ovation on the way out. He is still a good coach and is good for the sport. He should leave on his terms, screw the media.

UT, Colorado, Baylor, Navy, Army, Georgia all have animals at their games. Just to name a few. USF needs to make something special happen. I think getting out of RJ and building a 45k stadium on campus is the first thing. If they are worried about recruits lilking the locker rooms, spent some extra money on them. But, get on campus and create a college football atmosphere. Somewhere Gameday would fit in! You fill a 45k stadium on campus and get some fun going, this team would take off. You want to increase interest, make tickets scarce.

I have been to a lot of college football games across the country, RJ is not in the same class as most of them. USF needs to do something to create a college atmosphere, if we want to attract more fans. THere are not enough USF football fans to fill up the lower bowl. It needs to be more of an event to attract those fans away from other things. I don't live in Tampa anymore, I am just passing along what I am seeing in the Big 10 this year. Like it or not, it is different and I listed exactly what the people who went to the games said. They hated USF games, I had to drag them. They are asking me when we are going back to Madison. Take it for what its worth, just trying to give some insight. According to the USF fans, attending a USF football game is as fun as a Gator game, that is simply playing ostrcih. Forget the Big 10, go to Neland Stadium, Florida Field, LSU, Auburn, or even FSU. It is not close and it is not the team that matters. It is the experience.

The Big East's best teams are not in the same league as some of the other conferences. THe Big 10, Big 12, Pac-10, and SEC all have better teams and WVU or Louisville would be middle of the pack. I honestly believe that Louisville could not beat OSU, Michigan, or Wisconsin in the Big 10. Texas in the Big 12, Florida, Auburn, or LSU in the SEC. USC or Cal in the Pac-10. Notre Dame as an independent. That makes ten teams better than the Big East's top team, which is no big deal. However, Lousiville is not the 2nd best team in the country.

I am not saying that USF has control over the number of people that attend. What they do have TOTAL control over is the experience that the 30 to 40k that do attend the games feel. For example, I was sitting in a bar last night talking to UW and PSU fans. Most of them were women and girls between 11 and 19. My daughter who did not want to go because it was a football game left asking when was the next game. None of them knew PJ Hill ran for 148 yards, that UW covered, or if they played well. They knew they won, they had a great time, and the stadium was so cool doing all the chants, waves, band cheers, and waving the towels they gave out. That is what I am talking about! USF can do more to create that environment and a lot of it is simple planning and choreograpy. It is not necessarily more people, a better team, or 100 years of tradition. It is just some thought on what attracts people to games. I am not talking a Disney productions, just some authentic enthusiasm that can easily be generated by the existing resources, the band and stadium! We will not create Gainesville, but its gotta be better. According to the women and girls I know, USF is not a "fun" game to go see compared to other schools. I almost fell over when my kids were asking to go to another UW game and we sat in the end zone! I got news for you, fans like us that actually know the whold roster, the BCS formula, and what USF needs to do to go to a bowl are the minority. We need to create an environment.

The problem is that the Big East does not have a lot of leverage in negotiating. I have been watching a lot of Big East football the last 2 years and thought that the Big East was very competetive. Until yesterday when I went to Camp Randall to see UW and Penn State. Yesterday, I went to the Wisconsin/Penn State game and I came away with a different view about the Big East and Bowl attractiveness. These programs are light years ahead of USF, Cinn, UCONN, Pitt, and even Rutgers in terms of bowl attractiveness. They had 82,000 at the game in Madison. Thet had over 35k stay for the 5th Quarter to watch the band! That is more than we get at RayJay for a game. I have never seen more red in my life. I know we are only 10 years old, but the bowls don't care and we shouldn't either. There is only one standard. The Big 10 has 11 of those schools. The SEC has 10 of those schools. The Pac-10 has maybe 5. Big 12 maybe five, as well. Notre Dame, Army, & Navy all pack that atmosphere. That is a lot of schools that will bring a lot of fanatical fans. We (USF)have a lot of work to do to get into that universe. We are not even in the same ball park. I think USF needs to send representatives to these type of stadiums and see what is happening around the BCS and come up with a plan on what traditions USF will have, upgrade the band, and develop a gameplan on how the game should unfold in the stadium! RIght now, we all show up and that is about it. Both the PSU and UW bands were the engines that created that atmosphere! They were in the stands going from section to section getting things rolling. The Tuba patrol made the rounds in the stands. The drum line was in the stands moving around the stadium. Sorry, but there is more to a good atmosphere than a lot of people, it is well choreographed. USF's band playing Bohemian Rapsidy is ridiculous. We don't have to copy other schools, but come up with Tampa stuff. I don't care if it is Buffet and Reggae, but do something! Create some character for our program!

I think Louisville has a better shot against OSU even without Bush because they are balanced and can play defense. WVU cannot stop the run and if you can't stop the run Troy Smith will eat them up. Also, WVU's corners could not handle Louisville's receivers, what will Ted Ginn and company do? I think Louisville will be able to score on OSU's D better and quicker than WVU.

Those two bowls do absolutely nothing for the program's reputation. $ is nice, but I would rather play a team from a BCS conference. It is a no win situation, win and we are supposed to win. Lose and the BE sucks. Same as the UCF game! We need to beat BCS teams!

Those are good points. Although I do not know if I agree that the talk if an undefeated Lousiville deserves to go over a one loss Florida team is an improvement. If there records were the same it would be an improvement. Right now, the non-conference record is the biggest feather in the BE cap and you are right winning the bowl games would do alot. Pitt, RU, and even Syracuse are helping the BE. USF needs to now start winning some road games. I hope we do not have to play a ConfUSA team in a bowl. That victory would mean nothing.

Got news for you. Ohio State would lay it to Florida, Auburn, LSU, Texas, or USC this year! OSU is 14 points better than the next best team. I am almost hoping that Florida goes because if Louisville goes and loses by 14 points all the BE will hear is Florida would have done better. It would be better for the Conference for Louisville to go kill a Michigan by 21 and have UF get leveled (like they would) against OSU. OSU is very impressive.

The BE is not the Big 10, SEC, Big 12 or PAC-10. They are being held up as the standard and we are being told we don't meet it. You are right the last NC game was not a well played game. The difference is that no one is questioning Texas or USC if they belong in that game. The BE legitimacy is being questioned constantly. When you are in that positin you need to be better because we are under greater scruitny. Right or wrong, it is the truth. I will be my mortgage that game is not portrayed as a positive in the media for the conference. This is big business and we need to start approaching it as such. First rule, is be honest with where you are. If you are not, you are dead. The BE needs to look objectively at the conference and how it is being perceived. 6 fumbles and 22 penalties do not look good, I don't care who is doing it.

You have got to be kidding. You WANT the top coaches to leave because they are better than us? What the hell type of logic is that? The BE is not respected now! If you lose top coaches, the competition gets worse and the league becomes Conference USA. You SHOULD want more top coaches coming into the league, even if USF finishes last, because that will force the rest of the teams to get better. That attitude is the problem with some USF fans!! I want every top coach in the country wanting to play in the BE. That is how you get better and get respected. I want a 1 loss BE team getting a shot at the title because the competition is so good. That is a loser attitude.

Rutgers can't go to the NC game. They are at 15 and do not have enough time to make that kind of jump. They would have needed to start at 8 or 9 in the initial BCS ranking to have any chance of jumping that many teams. The perception that the BE is weak, does not help. WVU will fall to about 10 and Lousiville will only move to 4 (if at all), depending on who wins this weekend. Sorry to say that in my opinion, last night's game did not help the BE from a quality of play perspective. The play did not indicate well-coached teams. 6 fumbles (5 WVU 1 Lv) 22 penalties (14 WVU 8 Lv) 1000 yards of Offense (541 WVU Lv 467) Those numbers does not indicate good football teams or top level coaching. It indicates weak schedules. A clean 24-21 game would have done the conferene better.

My view on the game is that the better team won and last night was good for the Big East. Lousiville's offense and defense appear better suited for challenging an Ohio State or Michigan than WVU. I think Lousiville has a good chance of winning out. They are very balanced, their D is good, and they have the depth to play 60 minutes with top teams. I am impressed. That Freshman RB is a beast. How the hell did USF let a Tampa Jesuit kid get away? Maybe if Sorivino at least got a shot when Julmiste obviously sucked last season, he could not have been worse that ranked 110th in country.

The whole point is will they stay if they cannot get to the NC game. I am not in Florida and EVERY sportstalk show I listen to are all saying the same thing: "WVU & Louisville do not deserve to be there over a 1 loss SEC team, Big 10 team, or Texas." If that turns out to be true, why would a top coach stay if UNC, NC State, Michigan State, FSU, UM, or even PSU comes calling? We have several large buy-outs, but most of those schools have very deep pockets. Schiano won't leave except for Penn State or maybe BC. Paterno would have to get sick or physically not be able to coach. The BC coach could move to a bigger school and BC is a NE school that is very competetive in a better conference. Rodriguez: I think he bolts if WVU is snubbed. UNC or UM would pay for his buy out. Does the ACC take partial-qualifiers? He has made his living on partial-qualifiers and the BE stopped allowing those. Pertrino: I think he only goes for UM or FSU (if Bobby calls it quits). I do not think the buy outs will stop those teams and the coaches will listen if they can't get to the NC game even with a perfect record beating 2 top 10 teams.

Point taken. I like that "****" reference with circle jerk. Ok, I'm in. If USF beat both WVU, Pitt, Syracuse, and Louisville they would be ranked somewhere between 20-25. Now the bigger "circle jerk" part of the equation is would USF go to the BCS if it happened? RU would have to lose 2 (can easily lose to WVU and Louisville) WVU would have to lose 2 (Pitt and USF) Louisville would have to lose 2 (WVU and USF) The winner of tonights game needs to be upset and it can't be Rutgers! Otherwise, it is the International or Birmingham Bowl even if we run the table. No way Gator takes us. Funny, Int or Bir or BCS, talk about extremes.

Lighten up? It appears your just looking for a nice circle jerk where we all sing the USF fight song, rather than trying to figure out if they can actually do it. I want to know what has this team showed this year to warrant even entertaining an "if" for the last 4 games. Rather than speculating on fantasy rankings, how about looking at the teams and discussing what USF would have to do to win? Or, is bleeding green and gold on the field enough? Geez, you want to discuss potential scenarios, but not provide any idea of how to pull it off. How about USF team speed versus WVUs? Pitt coming to Tampa after a tough loss. Will USF's DBs cover Pitts R? Louisville's D There are a hundred discussions! Back up the "if." By the way, the Jets were a better team in 69 than the Colts, just in a worse league. They were the underdog only because of public perception.

What does thinking positive have to do with anything? I want good analysis supporting the "positive feelings." What have you seen out of this year's team to think they can beat the #3 and #5 ranked teams in the nation on the road in back to back weeks? We lost to a bad Kansas team on the road, we lost to a mediocre Cinn team on the road, we beat a bad NC team on the road, and we struggled with a very bad UCF team on the road. What has changed over the bye week to warrant positive thinking with those last two games? Besides blind faith, I see nothing this season that would suggest that we can go 2-2 down the home stretch, never mind 4-0. I am not trying to be negative, I truly want to analyze this and see what everyone is seeing that I am missing on the USF boards.