GoBulls84

It's refreshing to see a team shoot fairly well from the free throw line. If you can't hit the gimmes, you're not gonna win a lot of games unless you're outrecruiting everyone and blowing everybody out of the water (as we've seen for a long time here).

21 minutes ago, Gatorbull325 said:

We already beat a top-10 team that is STILL ranked. If we beat FAU while they are ranked that will make it two teams. There are already 6 ranked teams with 4 losses. March Madness is comprised of 68 teams. If we win 20 games and/or win the AAC tourney, why is it a long shot? I'm not going to keep going back & 4th. I just simply disagree about the "long shot" part of it. There is nothing wrong with looking at things from the "glass half full" perspective. 

How many of those teams have losses to teams in the 200s or worse in NET? We've got two of those. Another loss to a team in the 150s and another loss (Hofstra) is around us in the rankings. Just as an example, with Tennessee highlighted with 4 losses. 3 of those losses were to teams still sitting in the top 4. Their worst loss is to #40 Mississippi State. FAU has one around Hofstra's level and one (FGCU) in the 250s. But they also have the cachet from being a Final Four team a year ago. If we end up around the same record, guess who's getting the benefit of the doubt (and the invite)?

You can be an optimist and still recognize that the odds are long for an at-large bid. The odds get a little less long with each win, but as we've seen with a team like Kansas (losing to UCF lol), winning night after night, week after week, without stumbling at all is HARD, even with the best players in the league. That's what makes it a longshot.  

23 hours ago, Cat941 said:

 

Well we heard Clemson was going to announce they were leaving way back in October (actually previous to that over the summer as well), so I'll believe it when there's actually motion in that direction. For now, FSU is really the only one putting their money where their mouth is

On 1/19/2024 at 7:29 PM, Outlaw said:

I mean its NW it is a matter of time before the big kicks out the dead weight.

Northwestern has played in the B1G title game twice in the last 6 years (2020 being the last time), which is more than you can say for most of the league. 

2 hours ago, Mike Stuben said:

Only 1 game against FAU. we are done with Memphis. (not counting conference tourney)

 

I think an at large is a long shot. I do think 20 wins is reachable. 

I knew we had 1 against FAU, for whatever reason I thought I saw another matchup with Memphis down the road. Guess we'll just have to beat FAU 

We would have to have a strong run in conference play and at least split the two games we have left on the schedule against Memphis and FAU, then make a deep run in the conference tourney. As it stands now, the conference is likely a 2-bid league so we would have to do a lot to change that to get an at-large or win the conference tourney outright.

1 minute ago, USF_Bullsharks said:

2016 - up two scores (41-31), Junkyard Dog scored with 11 seconds left lol

South Florida 48-31 UCF (Nov 26, 2016) Final Score - ESPN

WWW.ESPN.COM

---

Game summary of the South Florida Bulls vs. UCF Knights NCAAF game, final score 48-31, from November 26, 2016 on ESPN.

 

IIRC this was also right after OCC went for it on 4th down from deep in their own territory instead of just punting with the game obviously out of reach.

2 hours ago, Peatearpan said:

Can we start using Let’s Goach instead of Let’s go?

Oh man, nobody tell @Triple B

11 hours ago, Bull Matrix said:

 USF messed up their momentum on offense when they hired CCS after CWT left. Hopefully they learned from that.

This is the most important part of the next coaching hire. Do NOT under any circumstance make the next coaching hire someone who has a wholly different philosophy from what's in place. The neighbors to the East kept their momentum rolling when Frosty left because they hired a coach who had a similar philosophy and was willing to adapt his system to the players. We failed because Strong was a defensive-minded coach who wanted us to slow the offense down and ended up torpedoing everything.

10 hours ago, DontPushMe said:

Being in the AAC has done that already. Can't destroy what's already destroyed. 

 

When the big East fell apart we needed to go independent at that moment. Rebuilding the AAC just dropped us down a level (the old cusa). Now we're blindly walking into the same thing as we let the nation view us as an old sun belt school (I say old, because current sun belt is a better conference than the AAC)

 

Byu did it right. They saw Utah get a call up and refused to just accept being 2nd rate. They went independent, kept their image intact, and are now back on level with utah.

 

We watch cfla go past us and just lay down and take it. 

I understand you're just fishing for engagement at this point, and I probably don't need to tell you this, but Mormon U has a national following and had the capacity to draw a livable media contract until such time as they were invited to a bigger conference. We'll get no such contract and would wither and die on the vine. Even in the AAC and with our football progrum in the sh-tter, our overall athletic program has been in the top 80 nationally and I believe was as high as 68 or 69 a year or two ago.

22 hours ago, Ten Toed Sloth said:

Tulane went from 2-10 in 2021 to 12-2 the following year and won the championship. Why is it such a stretch for USF? Both SMU and Memphis finished the 2022 season 7-6 and then went on to finish 11-3 (and won AAC championship) and 10-3 respectively. Doesn't seem like a huge stretch to me!

I think the biggest different in the transition that we'd be making in comparison to Tulane's big turnaround is that prior to that 2-10 season, Tulane had been steadily building under Fritz, just hadn't broken the .500 barrier yet. The 2021 record was an aberration compared to the rest of his time there. Same could be said for Memphis. They've regularly been one of the top teams in the conference. 2021 and '22 were kind of outlier seasons for the program over the last decade.

That said, if Goach can get the defense improved and the offense even progresses a little (think more consistency), the sky could be the limit for this team. And I believe we've got a shot in any game as long as Byrum is healthy

3 hours ago, Mike Stuben said:

This is right, those are the top 3 ... but allow me to continue the list. 

4. Big 12 invites USF

5. New conference that represents the best of the left outs invites USF. 

6. Nothing changes. 

7. Some top schools leave the AAC but USF remains, FIU is invited. 

 

1-3 Home Run

4 Triple

5 Double

6 Walk

7 GIDP

I would argue #7 would more qualify as the ol' Golden Sombrero

2 hours ago, Triple B said:

First thought when I heard the news was wondering about Kirby Smart because he was at UA for so long, but then saw that he played at UGA so have to assume he's home for good.

Weird 24 hours for long tenured, successful football coaches tapping, or being tapped, out with Belichick and Carroll gone, too ...

Kirby Smart is Georgia or bust as far as college football is concerned. Remains to be seen whether he ever tests the NFL waters. There were rumors a few weeks ago that he'd be interested in the Falcons job if/when it opened up, but I haven't read any such rumors since the gig actually opened up.

1 hour ago, BullyPulpit said:

Are we 100% certain of this? He was pretty banged up in 2022 going after all those 50/50 balls. Could it be he held out because he was trying to full recover from injury? 

As I've heard it from people with better insight into the program, he was healthy and chose to sit out to remain so before he entered the portal.

26 minutes ago, flsportsfan83 said:

who is he replacing?

The previous TE coach was recently announced as the new OC at Kent State

16 hours ago, Outlaw said:

I find it hard to believe Scott worked hard compared to other head coaches. His team was still lost and did not actually improve in three seasons.  The interim coaches had the team looking more competent then him. The only coach he beat was fired. All other points are fair, but if you say you are staying a bull and leave you are done to USF.

I don't doubt that Scott worked hard. I just doubt that he had the acumen that it took to be more than a position coach. He was a pretty solid recruiter (as exhibited by Byrum Brown and where a lot of our transfers out ended up) and churned out quite a few NFL prospects at WR while at Clemson. But he clearly didn't have the in-game chutzpah to get it done and struggled with the concept of getting his guys up for games other than the annual P5 games (like UF).

It's possible to care about what you're doing and have the desire to be great at it, but at the same time lack the ability to actually be great at it.

20 hours ago, Chardizard said:

I have a slight soft spot for Battie and Horn because of this.  We could of won that UCF game if Xavier played.  He decided to sit....hard for me to forgive that  

Not only did he sit for that game, but he allegedly had the nuts to ask the interim coaching staff to ask for extra tickets for the game after quitting 3 games prior.

46 minutes ago, Outlaw said:

I have no idea how close they are. Nor do I care.   Horn and weaver  quit on the bulls  last year and Battie left he team after saying he was staying. Battie at least finished the season. I am glad Colorado didn't go bowling .

I mean, Horn entered the portal, but at least he didn't quit on the team with 4 games left. Weaver could be the second coming of Jesus in Cleats (Jerry Rice) and I still wouldn't take him back.

21 hours ago, E.T. said:

Selfishly just thinking of football, love this article  . . . who are the 12 football players?

QB Brown
RB Wright

WR Atkins

WR Brown

WR Simmons

OL Milovac

OL Skinner

OL Best

DL Blue-Eli

DL Hickman

DE Logan

LB Gordon

LB Shuler

Did 13, who do you think? I didn't use True Fr./Transfers or possible guys Graduated. 

I want to see Cole Skinner develop into an All-American lineman and eventual NFL draft pick for no other reason than he gave my kids one of his gloves after the Charlotte game and they lost their minds over it.

10 hours ago, Bull Matrix said:

The funny thing about the PAC is that they could of destroyed the big 12 but couldn’t agree to add some of those schools many years ago.  

Yep. They were too good to add Texas Tech and Oklahoma State along with Texas and OU. Their elitism also pushed away several other potential G5s that could have grown and thrived in the PAC as well. They thumbed their nose at everybody else right up until the moment they had no TV deal and ran to those other conferences they felt they were better than.

Dude took the 6-figure payday and ran before ever really giving Goach a chance. Can't say I blame Goach for denying the return.

1 hour ago, Brad said:

May have been a backwards lateral, but I know he had the ball at least once, didn't go anywhere with it I don't think. Maybe a yard or two. Had another one that I think went incomplete as well.

3 hours ago, Gatorbull325 said:

He needs to put on at least 10-15 more Ibs. I saw him get hit in the bowl game and had to take a deep breath out of concern lol

Yeah, a full offseason in a college weight training program should do him some good. Excited to see him get some more action next season.

Echols will likely play. He was in on some of the bowl practices, so his learning curve for the offense won't be as steep as some kids coming in for fall. Don't know if Jey'Quan Smith's redshirt was burned this year or not. Saw him get a few snaps in at the end of the bowl game. He's a dude I'm watching for next season. Kid can flat out run.

On 12/25/2023 at 8:54 AM, NAIROBIBULL said:

Hey, do we have any room left to sign any transfers or HS in the later signing period. It seems like we hit 30. So are we done?

Inevitably some kids will transfer out after the season, making more room for more incomers.