This is a perfect year to make a move on the big 3

[kdawgy_orlando]

We need money, we need media hype, we need a connected Alumni.  We have work to do.  Everyone elses struggles may lead to some improvements with recruits.  We are looking at programs with upto 90 years of playing football.  We need to focus on growing everything.  Athletic Association funding was up 385 % over the last five years, we need to keep that level of increase going.

We are the little 4th program in Florida.  I am not trying to dimish everything we have done in 10 years, we need more bowl games, more exposure and a more connected alumni and fan base.  

We are moving up....

When we get more than a paragraph on page 15 of the Sports section in the Orlando Sentinel on a Sunday,

I will know we are making progress statewide.

[bulls96go]

we must win 4-5 for that to be true

[windbane]

I know we're a young program, but I just want to state that the number of years you've played football doesn't mean a thing.  Ivy league started the college football tradition and they aren't good anymore.  UNC apparently has played football for 116 years, and they haven't been that good at all as far as I know.

What matters if how the public/media perceives you.

Anyway, we're improving I think and should continue to do so the next 3 years.  I'm expecting the recruiting to continue to improve.  So many schools recruit in Florida it's ridiculous.  We need to become a better magnet for those guys even if it's still leftover guys from the big 3.

Btw, I don't think FSU's coach will change for awhile. Miami is likely to get a new coach and with their recruiting base they could easily vault back up next year.  FSU, btw, has played 17 true freshmen this year, had only 3 starting linebackers for the game against duke and had injuries to that position in the game, and lost 2 early-leaves last year to the first round of the NFL draft.  they will be fine as well.

we need to keep improving indepedant of how they are doing.  I think UCF stinking it up helps us better than anything, and it seems Rutgers, Pitt, WVU, and UL might take more of our likely recruits than the big 3.

[Guest r_to_the_izzo]

No. It wont take one year to catch them. FSU/UM will finish 8-4 each, we will need to pull an upset to finish with that record. Unless we win the BE the gap won't be closed.

Some of the green and gold goglles need to come off.

The old saying about UF now applies to our fans:

Arrogance of Notre Dame, Resume of Rutgers.

[Bull Dozer]

No. It wont take one year to catch them. FSU/UM will finish 8-4 each, we will need to pull an upset to finish with that record. Unless we win the BE the gap won't be closed.

Some of the green and gold goglles need to come off.

The old saying about UF now applies to our fans:

Arrogance of Notre Dame, Resume of Rutgers.

Agreed, even with the terrible seasons (by their standards) that UM and FSU are having they will still have top 20 recruiting classes while even if we finish with a better reason we will be way down the list.  As for florida they still could be in the NC game because if they win out and USC and one or two of the other undefeateds catch an L their strength of schedule would put them there and the hype myer gets and him letting young players play (Tebow, Harvin) will only help recruiting.  We need to keep winning, and improving our recruiting classes every year and we will get there but it will take quite a while and a few conference championships, and some bowl wins.  As for recruiting we need to keep some of the talent in the state that is going to other BE schools, if i remeber correctly 6 of the 11 defensive starters for Pitt are from FL.  

[Velcro]

No. It wont take one year to catch them. FSU/UM will finish 8-4 each, we will need to pull an upset to finish with that record. Unless we win the BE the gap won't be closed.

Some of the green and gold goglles need to come off.

The old saying about UF now applies to our fans:

Arrogance of Notre Dame, Resume of Rutgers.

The item in bold is the only part I disagree with.

I sell Green and Gold goggles, if anyone wants any...  don't listen to Izzo.  

[Wolfman]

Some of these post sound just like the media.  My biggest problem is the perceived notion that if you were good for several years in a row you are a good team forever.

FSU is a top 30 or so team on the feild and so are the Bulls.  The difference is the history of FSU has the media and apparantly some posters thinking they are still better.  This game in my opinion would be a toss up.

To say FSU will continue to stay near the top because they have a top 20 recruiting class is asinine.  This is just like ranking the top 25 pre-season, and when a highly ranked team has a bad year and ends with 5 or 6 losses still refering to them as a top team.  My point is ranking before a kid plays is just an opinion, eduated opinion maybe, but with the number of high school seniors in the country it may not be that educated.

FSU has had top 20 recruiting classes for many years and yet the records over the last five years do not compare to their record the previous 5 years.

2005       8-5

2004       9-3

2003      10-3

2002       9-5

2001       8-4

prior to 2001 they were used to 2 loss seasons being a bad year.

My point is we are catching them at a much faster rate than many believe. (On the field anyway, the media will always be years behind, lets face it they though ND would compete for the national title, history had something to do with that prediction)

The reason we are catching up is because of their depth.  If healthy their starters on a whole are better than ours. (but you don't go through an entire football season without injury).  We have taken some kids that would have started for FSU or Miami, and we have taken most of the kids that would have been the second string).  So when they have injuries, like FSU has, they fall fast.

Just my opinion, and like always, GO BULLS!

[mutt]

Whadda situation we're in... We want it all, and still don't have enough fans to sell out a game. We're pissed we aint the big 4, and no more than a year ago, opposing teams were calling us "Southern Florida"...

I definitely agree, I wanna be numbah one, but this is the time we need to focus on building a decent fan base. Season Tix, Merchandise in the stores, Watch Partys, Iconic U Licence plates, Wearing a USF logo shirt to work everyday... It all adds up to building a great and powerful BULLS COUNTRY !!!  The exitement we individually biuld for it will come back to us triple fold. We ALL can pitch in and lay the foundation,...  The rest will come my friends, the rest will come.

Besides...   it took fsu (I think) 41 years to get to the Sugar bowl right???

[Guest]

USF and UCF have facilities as good or better than Miami.  Hard to believe a team with such a national presence would not have invested in upgrading its athletic facilities -- but they haven't.  USF's new athletic facility building is actually far better than what the 'Canes have.

With four 'new' I-A programs in the state taking 400 players, mostly from within the state of Florida, the talent pool has been dilluted for FSU, Miami, and Florida.  Add to that the fact that a lot of assistants from these schools have moved elsewhere, taking their recruiting rolodexes with them.  You don't think that Schiano, Wannstedt, Amato, Spurrier, etc are not using their contacts in Florida to take quality players away.  The Big Three can not reload the way they used to...

Ultimately, USF need to gain national respect to attain a "peer" status with the Big Three.  That will require USF to be in the Top 25 for several years without falling out.  (Miami is out for the first time since 1999!)  FSU had been in for 74 weeks in a row until they dropped out.

Until USF can be ranked for 20-30 weeks in a row, there will not be a Big Four.

[Joe]

I disagree with ya Bob. FSU might have 2 losses but 1 is to a very good Clemson team (in the waning minutes at that) and the other is a bad loss to a team that has owned them the last 6 years.

They have a lot of very good players and could be a major favorite to win the ACC and national title in a few years.

As for the media. Why should they pick up on us? We haven't done anything great since the Louisville win last year. Were 5-2 this year, but with the 111th ranked schedule...Take Louisville or WVU out and you'll get the media. However wins over FIU, UConn, and UNC (even if they are BCS) are expected, even from USF.