If USF is cursed, what is the cause of that curse and what needs to be done to break it?

[bulloni]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports-related_curses

It's not uncommon for down-trodden fanbases to blame a curse on their lack of success. In the 5 years leading up to 2011/2012 USF was on fire. The football team was consistently ranked and beating big programs. The basketball team while not great still won 20 games twice in a loaded big east, won 2 NCAA tourney games, and had a 1st round pick.

Since then USF has been irrelevant in the sports that matter. Outside of the Quinton Flowers years we have been downright embarrassing. Even in those years, how do you have a transcendent QB surrounded by NFL talent for 3 years in a G5 conference and your best win might be the Birmingham bowl against a .500 P5 team?

Three ideas and how we'd solve each:

• Falling out with Jim Leavitt - lot of people point to this as the beginning of the end, the program lost its fiery leader and their identity along with it. To solve this we need to mend that relationship. Name the field at the OCS after him, put him in a ring of honor, etc. Something to pay tribute to the man who gave us these expectations in the first place.
• Judy Genshaft blocking UCF to the Big East - UCF fans love to bring this up. Would think if this cursed us UCF being in a P5 conference next season and us not being in one would free us from this curse.
• The Daily Stampede blog starting - wasn't this around 10-12 years ago at that same time? The blog has some takes that are polarizing to the fanbase. Doubt this is it, but maybe they should not post anything for an entire week before a non-Temple FBS opponent just to check...

 

[Skingraft]

Need that Indian Shawman to come bless any mounds. Works for hurricanes

 

 

[jchem1995]

I remember beating the breaks off FAMU and at halftime, their band leader was shaking a rattle snake headed baton and I swear, I mean I swear I saw him putting a hex on us. It gave me the creeps. That was Skips first year.

[Brad]

30 minutes ago, bulloni said:

• Falling out with Jim Leavitt - lot of people point to this as the beginning of the end, the program lost its fiery leader and their identity along with it. To solve this we need to mend that relationship. Name the field at the OCS after him, put him in a ring of honor, etc. Something to pay tribute to the man who gave us these expectations in the first place.
• Judy Genshaft blocking UCF to the Big East - UCF fans love to bring this up. Would think if this cursed us UCF being in a P5 conference next season and us not being in one would free us from this curse.
• The Daily Stampede blog starting - wasn't this around 10-12 years ago at that same time? The blog has some takes that are polarizing to the fanbase. Doubt this is it, but maybe they should not post anything for an entire week before a non-Temple FBS opponent just to check...

I'd say two of the three are irrelevant.

[Bull Nut]

Losing LRS definitely had an impact 

[DrewMFA]

Clearly it has to be the wizard guy.

It’s been a straight downward trajectory since he first appeared during the Houston game in 2017. Source:  

The USF Wizard: An enchanting presence at home football games

---

It’s 2017. The high-powered USF offense led by Quinton Flowers...

2017: Started 7-0 and ranked #17 for the Houston game. Wizard first shows up mid-game, and we blow a lead and lost the game on a ridiculous 4th and 24 conversion - 10-2 overall record

2018: 7-6 record

2019: 4-8 record

2020: 1-8 record

2021: 2-10 record

2022: 1-4 currently with little hope

Think his hat needs sacrificed, or banished from the Jumbotron to eliminate the curse he has put on us.  

[Brad]

That's all I need to know.  

[Outlaw]

17 minutes ago, DrewMFA said:

Clearly it has to be the wizard guy.

It’s been a straight downward trajectory since he first appeared during the Houston game in 2017. Source:  

The USF Wizard: An enchanting presence at home football games

---

It’s 2017. The high-powered USF offense led by Quinton Flowers...

2017: Started 7-0 and ranked #17 for the Houston game. Wizard first shows up mid-game, and we blow a lead and lost the game on a ridiculous 4th and 24 conversion - 10-2 overall record

2018: 7-6 record

2019: 4-8 record

2020: 1-8 record

2021: 2-10 record

2022: 1-4 currently with little hope

Think his hat needs sacrificed, or banished from the Jumbotron to eliminate the curse he has put on us.  

I personally know him ... from my usf days and youth sports growing up. Should I reach out and also him to burn the wizard hat for the greater good ?

[CycleBull]

Just now, Outlaw said:

I personally know him ... from my usf days and youth sports growing up. Should I reach out and also him to burn the wizard hat for the greater good ?

I feel like someone mentioned this to him on Twitter.

[CycleBull]

Administration screwed up. RJS screwed us by banning kegs, thusly removing some of the over the top drunk students from getting tasered (USF Football sacrifice). 
 

Jeff Scott will get us to the promise land. (Wishing all the good vibes I can since he’s our coach). We also need a running with the bulls at USF every year to lift the curse.