USF not in it for the long haul.

[Bull-by-Marriage]

Our schedule has been easy... SO FAR. We close with back-toback games on the road Louisville, and WVU what team in the country wants to do that. MOST teams in the country start off witha weak non-conference schedule to ramp up into conference play. I am not saying that we belong in the top 25, but our strength of schedule will be just fine when the season is over.

[smazza]

kl-interesting

i really dont know how good/bad kansas is

do you think they are better than you alma mater? if so/not by how much.

kansas is certainly an upgrade from usf's first 2 opponents

[jfcohio]

our kansas st like schedule is going to come back and bite us on butt

While it may be a Kansas State-like schedule, they aren't beating the crappy teams 42 - 6, 51 - 12, 48 - 3, etc. like Kansas State did when they got that rolling. USF needs to beat teams like Rutgers, UConn, UCF, FIU consistently and without problems BEFORE they will EVER be an elite program.

They lose the next few weeks UL, Cincy, Pittsburgh, and especially West Virginia will CRUSH them.

[BULLheaded]

well when you put it that way, I can see your point.

While I'll agree that we haven't played anybody earth-shattering, I think we have been getting better each week. The schedule may be a joke to some, but I see it as our saving grace. It is giving our young troops a chance to ramp up their abilities prior to meeting some very tough challenges.

Be carefull Mike....this is sounding awefull close to saying the last THREE games were tuneup games. I got blasted for saying such things  

[CyberBull]

USF is a young team that is getting better.

I'd rather our YOUNG team find itself against creampuff competition and improve every week, like we have thus far than schedule an OOC schedule with 4 certain losses.

I don't hear Jim Leavitt or anybody else at USF saying that we should be ranked. USF will get what it deserves going down the stretch.

would you rather be 0-3?

good grief.....its **** if you do,  damned if you don't

[Brad]

I'd rather be 3-0 with a freshman QB and no #1 or #2 RB and know what we have to do to get better than to be 0-3 after a Penn State or Alabama opener and trying to look for the moral victory in the whole deal.  I admire the zeal with which some believe we should go 12-0 against the best competition the country has to offer.  But realistically (no drum intended) no one plays that kind of schedule.  Clearly the people in charge of the schedule did a magnificent job.  We've had enough challenges that we have been near losing (except the tinmen) so it uncovered weaknesses without trashing the whole season early on with three losses.  I like our schedule and think it only gets harder from here.  

And by the way KL, you clearly do not know what good competition is.  You've been watching the tinmen too long.  Every team we play from here on out is better than UCF.  There will be even greater challenges for the Bulls after leaving the house of mouse with a win.

[MikeG]

well when you put it that way, I can see your point.

While I'll agree that we haven't played anybody earth-shattering, I think we have been getting better each week. The schedule may be a joke to some, but I see it as our saving grace. It is giving our young troops a chance to ramp up their abilities prior to meeting some very tough challenges.

Be carefull Mike....this is sounding awefull close to saying the last THREE games were tuneup games. I got blasted for saying such things  

The first one- McNeese -- definitely was supposed to be a tune up

The second one -- FIU -- was also supposed to be a slightly tougher tuneup

UCF-- would appear to be a tuneup based on last year but it turned out to be a good test. But it's hard not to say that it wasn't just another step in the progression.

Kansas is another step up. A Big 12 team is still a Big 12 team. This will be a tougher challenge than UCF. On a true road test in front of a good sized crowd. We should be ready for it, but might still lose this one.

Rutgers-- I would say they are going to be a tough game. They have  arevenge factor on their side and are playing lights out football right now. With any luck the tough game at Kansas will prepare for what I consider a more important game than Kansas (since it is Big East record influencing).

After that-- well- we'll know what we have as far as this team is concerned. Come through those 5 games 4-1 and I think we can compete. Come through 5-0 and I know we can compete with anyone remaining.

The first ten games are all about getting ready for that UL/WVU swing. Now I'm not saying it was setup that way, but if you were the coach isn't that how you would view this season in a nutshell?

If we can beat Kansas-- that's where this season really gets started. The win against UCF was nice-- but it hasn't told us what we can really do because we don't know exactly how good UCF is this year compared to last.

[MikeG]

USF is a young team that is getting better.

I'd rather our YOUNG team find itself against creampuff competition and improve every week, like we have thus far than schedule an OOC schedule with 4 certain losses.

I don't hear Jim Leavitt or anybody else at USF saying that we should be ranked. USF will get what it deserves going down the stretch.

would you rather be 0-3?

good grief.....its **** if you do,  damned if you don't

Exactly-- let's say we opened with Penn State, Bama and Auburn. Our team gets beat up three straight times, injuries abound, and we have a chitty record. Then all these know-it-alls would be saying "why is USF scheduling all these tough teams we aren't ready for? They need to fire the AD"

no winning with that type of logic.

[USFreak]

Oh ET, my humblest apologies to you again...man you are on the wave length of this team.  When Chris Robinson first went over to DE, I never thought he would contribute right away (although I did predict that to be his ultimate destination when we signed him), but it appears that CR has really taken to the position and over the next 3-4 years could really blossom at DE.  He's got the build at 6-4 240lbs now.  He's so explosive at DE, perfect spot because at that spot his speed and quickness is an asset and he had two QB hurries and a sack fumble against UCF.

Team is improving, as the schedule is improving.  The team we have today would be up 41-0 at the HALF against MSU.  I think they're a better team athletically then Kansas, now play a stingy defense, take away the run, force their QB to pass, and exploit that Kansas pass defense that has given up 277 yards, 388 yards, and 249 yards passing in their first three games.  

ET's got a vibe with this team...he's been touting his boy Grothe and he was spot on.  I thought Grothe was good but I never saw this grit on the practice field, one of those PTP'ers when the lights come on....sometimes better then having all the best athleticism in the world; spot on with his boy Selvie.... I am going with ET's season prediction this year.  The schedule builds nicely as the team develops.  

Amen.  This schedule sets up perfectly for a young team that really needed a schedule like this.

All the younger components are gelling with the long-timers.  Kansas is the type of team that we could lose to...but lose pretty.  Either way, each week the team will get better as they grow into this schedule.  That doesn't mean they will win them all, but on paper (and with the way their home schedule sets up) they should have the chance to win 7 or 8 and make a case for a bowl.

This Saturday should be interesting.  I think we'll learn a lot.  Last Saturday was packed with a lot of emotion and motivation.  This will be a game against not too sexy of opponent, but very winnable if they put it all together.

[smazza]

well when you put it that way, I can see your point.

While I'll agree that we haven't played anybody earth-shattering, I think we have been getting better each week. The schedule may be a joke to some, but I see it as our saving grace. It is giving our young troops a chance to ramp up their abilities prior to meeting some very tough challenges.

Be carefull Mike....this is sounding awefull close to saying the last THREE games were tuneup games. I got blasted for saying such things  

The first one- McNeese -- definitely was supposed to be a tune up

The second one -- FIU -- was also supposed to be a slightly tougher tuneup

UCF-- would appear to be a tuneup based on last year but it turned out to be a good test. But it's hard not to say that it wasn't just another step in the progression.

Kansas is another step up. A Big 12 team is still a Big 12 team. This will be a tougher challenge than UCF. On a true road test in front of a good sized crowd. We should be ready for it, but might still lose this one.

Rutgers-- I would say they are going to be a tough game. They have  arevenge factor on their side and are playing lights out football right now. With any luck the tough game at Kansas will prepare for what I consider a more important game than Kansas (since it is Big East record influencing).

After that-- well- we'll know what we have as far as this team is concerned. Come through those 5 games 4-1 and I think we can compete. Come through 5-0 and I know we can compete with anyone remaining.

The first ten games are all about getting ready for that UL/WVU swing. Now I'm not saying it was setup that way, but if you were the coach isn't that how you would view this season in a nutshell?

If we can beat Kansas-- that's where this season really gets started. The win against UCF was nice-- but it hasn't told us what we can really do because we don't know exactly how good UCF is this year compared to last.

dont buy it

such bad teams dont help usf tune up for the better  teams

leavitt and crew are selling such games against bad teams as a tune up but our guys will be shell shocked when they play rutgers.you will see the earlier games against stiffs didnt help prepare usf

those games against bad team are simply easy wins with little benefit