where did all the hope and potential go

[smazza]

from usf football

face it

the program is regressing and hasn't gained ground in years

compare our program with uconn and pitt over last 4 years

[WoolyBully]

You mean like the best year USF ever had was equivalent to a down-and-out year for Pitt? OK....that's not too far off the mark.

"hope and potential" should not be confused with unrealistic expectations. A little dose of reality now and then is a good thing. You'd have to be hitting the crack pipe pretty hard to confuse our success as a great IAA team with being an average - and that is the right word - team a mid-major conference.

What'd you think? It was a grand conspiracy that kept USF out of contention for a Nat'l Championship? When it takes you three overtime periods to beat ECU...when you lose to Army...when you lose to Baylor...we are where we are s'posed to be. And it's going to be many long years before we knock heads with contenders on a regular basis.

[Unintelligibull]

I don't think so.

Last year we recruited fairly well (Andre Hall and some very good freshman like Payton, Verpael, etc.).

This year's class was one of the best we've had in a while.

If there is any real problem it will be what to do with a wealth of talented QB prospects.

It may not be reflected in our first years record in the Big East but we have a legit shot at going over .500 and an invitation to a bowl.

That's not regression.

[CyberBull]

what do yo mean years?

You are nuts!

If we would have been in a conference 4 years ago we would have gone bowling. Secondly we would have gone bowling two years ago if not for some major league scheduling goof ups. The BE has 5 bowl games for 8 teams (9 teams if you count ND). I like the direction this team is going in terms of talent.

[lotsofbull99]

I would hardly say our program is dead in the water, but we have struggled the last two years.

[Jim Johnson]

The BE has 5 bowl games for 8 teams (9 teams if you count ND). I like the direction this team is going in terms of talent.

Cyber...

I agree with your perspective 100% ... and I also think the future of this teams is far brighter than its past...

However, the Big East only has 4 bowl slots for our 8 teams + Notre Dame:

Bowl Championship Series (likely the Fiesta Bowl, this year)

Gator Bowl (if that is maintained, the GB is 'exploring options')

Insight Bowl

Meineke Car Care Bowl (formerly the Continental Tire Bowl)...

There is also one at-large slot in the new Poinsettia Bowl...

(Source: http://www.sportsline.com/collegefootball/story/8449708)

A 6-5 or even a 7-4 USF team may have to hope for two things to happen:

1) Notre Dame gets into the BCS or

2) Other conferences can't fill their slots to get a bowl...

Here's my (ever so brief) analysis:

We all seem to think that Pitt, West Virginia, and Louisville will be the three best teams in the Big East (other than USF, of course)... add in Notre Dame (if they don't make the BCS) and these are the four bowl teams for the four Big East bowls.

Why? They all travel better than USF... To be sure, USF could send a large contingent to Charlotte for the Meineke Bowl (but WVU, Pitt, and Louisville are all closer)... and we would have even more fans in Jacksonville for the Gator... (but can we win 6 or 7 Big East games to be the #2 Big East team??)...

-----------

Now, putting on my Green and Gold glasses for a moment... let's look at the chances for USF to make the BCS:

1) Of the three strongest Big East opponents, USF plays 2 at home (WVU, Louisville) and one on the road (Pitt)...

2) Pitt - in their last three weeks of the year - has to travel to Louisville and play the Backyard Brawl in West Virginia this year... Pitt also has some cake games leading into USF (Youngstown State, @ Rutgers, Connecticut) - which could put them in a position for a let down...

3) West Virginia has probably the easiest schedule, facing both Louisville and Pittsburgh at home... WVU plays Louisville the week before USF, so there could be some emotional let down - as well as some tired Mountaineers...

4) Louisville comes to Tampa a week after hosting Oregon State... they also travel to West Virginia after playing North Carolina... and they host Pittsburgh as the first of a 3 game home-stand... not the hardest schedule by any means...

5) Throw in some random games against the other Big East teams (Louisville @ U Conn in December, WVU @ Syracuse in the first game of the season, etc)... and there could easily be two or three teams with 1 or 2 losses at the top of the Big East.

The team with the best record among these four would be the BCS representative... so if USF goes 2-1 against Pitt/Louisville/WVU and goes 3-1 against Syracuse/U Conn/Cincy/Rutgers... USF could be headed to Tempe.

---------------

how's that for hope and potential??

[Bullpride08]

You mean like the best year USF ever had was equivalent to a down-and-out year for Pitt? OK....that's not too far off the mark.

"hope and potential" should not be confused with unrealistic expectations. A little dose of reality now and then is a good thing. You'd have to be hitting the crack pipe pretty hard to confuse our success as a great IAA team with being an average - and that is the right word - team a mid-major conference.

What'd you think? It was a grand conspiracy that kept USF out of contention for a Nat'l Championship? When it takes you three overtime periods to beat ECU...when you lose to Army...when you lose to Baylor...we are where we are s'posed to be. And it's going to be many long years before we knock heads with contenders on a regular basis.

Wooly, I am with you on realistic expectations however I believe we've recruited really well the past three years (better than even some analysts have assumed), and that will start translating on the field.  However, it probably won't be that profound until next year because most of that talent is still young and inexperienced with not much behind them to push them.

I believe this upcoming year that 4 wins seems a given, or what should be expected, and 6 wins is very possible.  A great year for me would be 6 wins, and a trip to a bowl game!  Then build for next year when the defense and offense is going to be loaded with experience and talent.

[Markeymark]

We have upgraded to I-A and while depth has improved I think overall talent level has not. We are also playing a much tougher schedule than in years past. In the past when we were I-AA, we were able to accept transfers from other I-A schools without having them sit out. If you look at all the stars on the team from the 9-2 season, many of them fall into this category.

[Bullpride08]

We have upgraded to I-A and while depth has improved I think overall talent level has not. We are also playing a much tougher schedule than in years past. In the past when we were I-AA, we were able to accept transfers from other I-A schools without having them sit out. If you look at all the stars on the team from the 9-2 season, many of them fall into this category.

Although, if you look at this team we've never had a player of Andre Hall's caliber, or even Johnny Peyton.  I think we've got a lot of young talent on the team that will prove to eventually be BETTER than those guys in 01', and 02' but right now they're so young.  In 01' and 02' all our primary talent (with a few exceptions) were seniors and the leaders.  I look at Nicholas, and realize he has two years left so he could end up being as good as Mitchell was in 01 and 02 (when Mitchell was a jr. and sr.).  

Also, right now the talent level position by position is considerably higher.  From 00'- 03' we had some superstars but had some gaps.  Usually we got away with it because of the competition level.  Give me a decent QB and the talent we have on this team right now would have gone maybe, 10-1 in 00', 11-0 in 01', and maybe 10-1 in 02', but after that the competition level changed, and this upcoming season it's at a peak, a level where there's absolutely no margin of error at any position.  When you play a PSU, Miami, Louisville, or WVU  you don't win with a few good players you must have talent and consistency at every position.  That's what we're striving for, and have a ways to achieve.  The potential is there in most players but they need to gain experience, and work hard to improve.

[BullDoug]

You mean like the best year USF ever had was equivalent to a down-and-out year for Pitt? OK....that's not too far off the mark.

"hope and potential" should not be confused with unrealistic expectations. A little dose of reality now and then is a good thing. You'd have to be hitting the crack pipe pretty hard to confuse our success as a great IAA team with being an average - and that is the right word - team a mid-major conference.

What'd you think? It was a grand conspiracy that kept USF out of contention for a Nat'l Championship? When it takes you three overtime periods to beat ECU...when you lose to Army...when you lose to Baylor...we are where we are s'posed to be. And it's going to be many long years before we knock heads with contenders on a regular basis.

Measely Kill Joy!   >  I prefer my life to be all about rose gardens and birthday parties  :.