Bulls Staking Their Claim as 2nd In State

[TyBull]

Bulls Staking Their Claim In State

By BRETT McMURPHY The Tampa Tribune

Published: Dec 23, 2006

BIRMINGHAM, ALA. - As significant as the University of South Florida's second consecutive bowl berth was this season, the Bulls accomplished something even more impressive.

Just check out the BCS rankings:

No. 2 Florida

No. 40 USF

No. 52 Florida State

No. 62 Miami

That's right, Seminoles and Hurricanes fans, you are no longer second fiddle in the state. Not this year, anyway. The Bulls have stampeded past FSU and Miami and have a legitimate claim as the state's second-best team this season behind Florida.

"I'm really impressed by what South Florida has done and, yes, given the rotten state of the ACC, I have no problem at all saying the Bulls are the second-best team in the Sunshine State in 2006," ESPN's Pat Forde said. "Neither FSU nor Miami did anything remotely as impressive as winning in Morgantown."

Even Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi, who called USF a "renegade program" earlier this year, is a believer.

"I don't think there's any question USF is the second-best team in the state this season," Bianchi said. "Not only that, I think they have the best chance of any team in the state of going to a BCS bowl next year.

"Miami and Florida State will be going through massive offensive transitions next year. Florida loses its quarterback and most of its star players. The Bulls have the nucleus of a bowl team returning, they have the most exciting quarterback in the state and they get Louisville and West Virginia at home."

USF (8-4) goes for a school record-tying ninth win today against East Carolina (7-5) in the Papajohns.com Bowl at Legion Field. While all six of the BCS computers rank USF as the state's second-best team, the ultimate experts - the Las Vegas oddsmakers - also rate USF second.

A spokesman for America's Line, which determines the official point spreads in Las Vegas, said if USF played FSU or Miami on a neutral field, the Bulls would be favored - by 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 points against FSU and 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 points against Miami.

"Based on what we've seen for the past two years, you have to start asking that question [if USF is second-best]," CBSSportsline.com's Dennis Dodd said. "The average Miami or FSU fan would laugh in your face, but it's the here and now, and [uSF] seems to be on the uptick. I think this a great offseason for South Florida to start asking that question."

Dodd said USF probably would need to win a Big East title for the "Big Three" to become the "Big Four."

Todd Wright, national sports talk radio host for The Sporting News and college football TV analyst for Sun Sports, said the Bulls are making strides.

"While the Bulls finished with a better record than both the Seminoles and Hurricanes and also had the signature victory neither FSU nor Miami had, there's still this feeling that USF has to remind people about its merits rather than it speaking for itself," Wright said.

"The last two seasons have produced progressively worse football in Tallahassee and Coral Gables, but it's not a long enough stretch to suggest that USF, even if it had won the Big East one of the last two seasons, is now a better program overall."

USF coach Jim Leavitt said the Bulls have to prove it on the field.

"To be a part of that group, you have to beat those guys," Leavitt said. "We have to beat them. You know that, I know that. Everybody in state knows that. We won't get accepted unless we beat them."

Forde said USF would have been a bigger national story if not for all the attention received by Louisville, Rutgers and West Virginia.

"If [those three] hadn't stolen the show early, people would have paid more attention to USF's season," Forde said. "Alas, the Bulls are probably accustomed to being overshadowed. But as long as they keep Jim Leavitt and he keeps getting players like [quarterback Matt] Grothe, they're going to be a legit contender in the Big East - and in their own state."

Bianchi said the Bulls are quickly closing on UF, FSU and Miami.

"Well, with all the drug suspensions and academic casualties, the Bulls are well on their way to being a big-time college football program," Bianchi said.

THE BIG FOUR?

USF ranks as the state's second-best team and higher than Florida State and Miami in the BCS rankings and all six computers used in the BCS rankings.

BCS School Record AH BIL COL MAS SAG WLF

2. Florida 12-1 2 3 1 2 3 3

40. USF 8-4 38 27 41 41 41 38

52. FSU 6-6 54 49 54 49 52 56

62. Miami 6-6 63 41 66 59 60 65

Computer polls: AH: Anderson-Hester, BIL: Billingsley, COL: Colley, MAS: Massey, SAG: Sagarin, WLF: Wolfe

Brett McMurphy

_________________

[JoeB]

I'm waiting for the day when we can claim number 1, until that day this is all just message board chatter.

[ksquire]

Other than this season, what makes UF Florida's best team. Historically they're second fiddle to UM and FSU. What one season can do to make a team godlike. I hope OSU blows them out of the water.

[bulls96go]

in time.

if 2007 plays out like we hope the question may become academic.

[usfgrad84]

I like the statement about USF having the best chance in the state to make a BCS bowl game next.  That should be a huge part of the conversation with recruits.

[dabull80]

One year at a time - one year at a time.

[joementum]

I am as big of fan as they come for South Florida Football, but I think we would get smoked by FSU..

I think talent wise they are 5 steps ahead of us.  We will get another shot at Miami in a few years and then the gators for consecutive years.  I think the gap will be really close then.  Right now, I would take Florida State and 10 points if I was a betting man.

We will see how close we are when we play Auburn next year.  That will be a GREAT measuring stick.

[___ Eats It]

WVU was supposed to be 5 steps ahead of us in talent, too...

[tampaboi07]

I am as big of fan as they come for South Florida Football, but I think we would get smoked by FSU..

I think talent wise they are 5 steps ahead of us.  We will get another shot at Miami in a few years and then the gators for consecutive years.  I think the gap will be really close then.  Right now, I would take Florida State and 10 points if I was a betting man.

We will see how close we are when we play Auburn next year.  That will be a GREAT measuring stick.

Man thats a bad argument.5 of the teams they lost too this year  they had alot more talent than.If it was all about talent we wouldnt have  million dollar coaches.

[joementum]

I think its a little much to start saying we are better then FSU.  They won something like 8 straight ACC titles including last year, been to a BCS bowl game like 6 of the last 7 years, won national titles twice in the last 9 years.  Fell out of the Top 25 for the first time in almost two decades recently.  We need to slow the train up a little bit.

They had a bad year.- for sure.  I promise you they won't be that off next year.  They aren't as bad as everyone thinks.  

Florida State recruits in a different galaxy then we do.

I think we need to win a conference championship and a BCS bowl before we start talking smack to Florida State.